49–006 

109TH CONGRESS REPT. 109–584, " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session Part 1 

COMMISSION TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL CREATION OF A 

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO COMMUNITY ACT OF 2005 

JULY 20, 2006.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. POMBO, from the Committee on Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 2134] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 2134) to establish the Commission to Study the Potential 

Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community 

to develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance 

of a National Museum of the American Latino Community in 

Washington, DC, and for other purposes, having considered the 

same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 2134 is to establish the Commission to 

Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community to develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American 

Latino Community in Washington, DC, and for other purposes. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Latinos have been part of American history since before the 

founding of the United States; they were present on the continent 

for more than two centuries prior to the Declaration of Independence. Despite the growth of Latino-inclusive programs at the 

Smithsonian Institution over the past decade, the sponsor of H.R. 

2134 believes the ‘‘mosaic portrayed in Washington museums’’ is 

incomplete without a museum specifically dedicated to the community. 


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The Commission proposed in the bill would be comprised of 23 

members, appointed as follows: seven by the President and three 

voting and one non-voting each by the Speaker, the House Minority 

Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Senate Minority Leader. The Commission will hold a national conference within 9 

months of its formation and develop a fundraising plan within 18 

months. The Commission will issue a report on the cost of the museum, its impact on other Hispanic- and Latino-related museums, 

its possible location, how the museum should be operated and how 

to engage the American Latino community in the museum’s development and design. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $3.2 

million for the Commission’s expenses. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 2134 was introduced on May 5, 2005, by Congressman Xavier Becerra (D–CA). The bill was referred to the Committee on Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks. On March 30, 2006, the Subcommittee on National 

Parks held a hearing on H.R. 2134. On June 21, 2006, the Committee on Resources met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee 

was discharged from further consideration of the bill by unanimous 

consent. No amendments were offered, and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous 

consent. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8, clause 3 of the Constitution of the United 

States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) of that Rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) of rule 

XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 

308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this bill does not 

contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to establish the Commission to Study the Potential 

Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community 

to develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance 

of a National Museum of the American Latino Community in 

Washington, DC, and for other purposes. 

4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the ComVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:32 Jul 21, 2006 Jkt 049006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR584P1.XXX HR584P1

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mittee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 2134—Commission to study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community Act of 2005 

H.R. 2134 would establish a commission to develop a plan for establishing and maintaining a National Museum of the American 

Latino Community in Washington, DC. Under the bill, the 23- 

member commission would report its recommendations on the museum to the Congress within 18 months of the legislation’s enactment. For the purpose of carrying out the commission’s responsibilities, the bill would authorize the appropriation of $2.1 million for 

2006 and $1.1 million for 2007. 

Based on information provided by the National Park Service and 

assuming appropriation of the amounts authorized for 2007, CBO 

estimates that the federal government would spend about $1 million over the next two years to establish the commission and to develop a plan for the proposed museum. (For this estimate, CBO assumes that no additional funds would be provided for this purpose 

in 2006.) Most of this amount would be spent for feasibility studies 

and other research. We estimate that enacting H.R. 2134 would 

have no effect on revenues or direct spending. 

H.R. 2134 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

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