19–006 

112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 112–282 

ALTO LEE ADAMS, SR., UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE 

NOVEMBER 14, 2011.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. MICA, from the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1791] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 

was referred the bill (H.R. 1791) to designate the United States 

courthouse under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 

in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the ‘‘Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States 

Courthouse’’, having considered the same, report favorably thereon 

without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose of Legislation ............................................................................................. 1 

Background and Need for Legislation .................................................................... 2 

Summary of Legislation .......................................................................................... 2 

Legislative History and Consideration .................................................................. 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 3 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 3 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 3 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 3 

Advisory of Earmarks .............................................................................................. 4 

Federal Mandate Statement ................................................................................... 4 

Preemption Clarification ......................................................................................... 4 

Advisory Committee Statement .............................................................................. 5 

Applicability of Legislative Branch ........................................................................ 5 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 5 

PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION

H.R. 1791 would designate the United States courthouse under 

construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, 

Florida, as the ‘‘Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.’’ 


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BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 1791 would designate the United States courthouse under 

construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, 

Florida, as the ‘‘Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.’’ 

Judge Alto Lee Adams, Sr. was born in 1899 and raised on a 

farm in Walton County, Florida. He graduated from the University 

of Florida Law School in 1921. After practicing law in Fort Pierce 

County for 14 years, Judge Adams was appointed as Circuit Court 

Judge for St. Lucie County, Florida, in 1938. 

In 1940, Florida citizens voted for the creation of a seventh seat 

on the State Supreme Court. Then-Governor Cone appointed Judge 

Adams to the State’s highest court. He served on the Florida Supreme Court until 1951, the last two years as the Chief Justice. 

During this time, Justice Adams authored one of his most highlyregarded decisions in Taylor v. State, which illustrated Justice 

Adams’ dedication to civil rights. 

He wrote that ‘‘[a]s to the relative rights and duties, the law 

makes no [racial] distinction.’’ Justice Adams also continually advocated for individual property rights over the federal government’s 

power of eminent domain. In 1967, then-Governor Kirk re-appointed Justice Adams to the State Supreme Court, where he remained on the court until his mandatory retirement in 1968. 

During his legal career, Justice Adams co-authored a book and 

wrote several articles regarding legal history and philosophy. His 

13 years of service on the Florida State Supreme Court are marked 

by his fairness on the bench. 

He was also an active member of his community serving as 

President of the Florida State Elks Association and as Vice Chair 

of the State Welfare Board. Judge Adams also began a cattle ranch 

in 1937, which he continued to expand into the 1950s. His ranch 

encompassed 65,000 acres in three counties. He also devoted time 

to local business interests in St. Lucie County, including citrus 

groves and Bass Motors. 

Because of Judge Adam’s exemplary career in public service, it 

is fitting to designate the United States Courthouse under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the ‘‘Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.’’ 

SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION

Section 1. Designation 

Section 1 designates the United States courthouse under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida as the ‘‘Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.’’ 

Sec. 2. References 

Section 2 indicates that any reference in a law, map, regulation, 

document, paper, or other record of the United States to the United 

States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 

reference to the ‘‘Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.’’ 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND CONSIDERATION

On May 5, 2011, Representative Thomas J. Rooney introduced 

H.R. 1791, a bill to designate the United States courthouse under 

construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, 


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Florida, as the ‘‘Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.’’ 

The bill was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 

On June 22, 2011, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met in open session, and ordered the bill reported favorably to the House by voice vote with a quorum present. 

HEARINGS

No hearings were held on H.R. 1791. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House of Representatives requires 

each committee report to include the total number of votes cast for 

and against on each record vote on a motion to report and on any 

amendment offered to the measure or matter, and the names of 

those members voting for and against. There were no record votes 

taken in connection with consideration of H.R. 1791, or ordering 

the bill reported. A motion to order H.R. 1791 reported favorably 

to the House was agreed to by voice vote with a quorum present. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee’s oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in this report. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 has been timely 

submitted prior to the filing of the report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is included in this report. 

PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives, the performance goal 

and objective of this legislation is to designate the United States 

courthouse under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 

in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the ‘‘Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States 

Courthouse.’’ 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the 

enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1791 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 


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U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, June 28, 2011. 

Hon. JOHN L. MICA, 

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed the following legislation ordered reported by the House 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 22, 2011: 

• H.R. 1073, a bill to designate the United States courthouse 

to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ‘‘R. Jess 

Brown United States Courthouse’’; 

• H.R. 1264, a bill to designate the property between the 

United States Federal Courthouse and the Ed Jones Building 

located at 109 South Highland Avenue in Jackson, Tennessee, 

as the ‘‘M.D. Anderson Plaza’’ and to authorize the placement 

of a historical/identification marker on the grounds recognizing 

the achievements and philanthropy of M.D. Anderson; and 

• H.R. 1791, a bill to designate the United States courthouse 

under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort 

Pierce, Florida, as the ‘‘Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States 

Courthouse.’’ 

CBO estimates that enacting those pieces of legislation would 

have no significant impact on the federal budget and would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

The bills contain 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. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew Pickford. 

Sincerely, 

ROBERT A. SUNSHINE

(For Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director). 

ADVISORY OF EARMARKS

Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives, the Committee is required to include a list of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits 

as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives. No provision in the bill includes an 

earmark, limited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit under clause 

9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI. 

FEDERAL MANDATE STATEMENT

The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 

pursuant to section 423 of the ‘‘Unfunded Mandates Reform Act’’ 

(P.L. 104–4). 

PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the 

report of any Committee on a bill or joint resolution to include a 

statement on the extent to which the bill or joint resolution is inVerDate Mar 15 2010 06:50 Nov 16, 2011 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR282.XXX HR282

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tended to preempt state, local, or tribal law. The Committee finds 

that H.R. 1791 does not preempt any state, local, or tribal law. 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this legislation. 

APPLICABILITY OF LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to the 

terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or 

accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (P.L. 104–1). 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

H.R. 1791 makes no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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