99–006

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ! 2d Session 107–599

LOUISIANA PURCHASE BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION ACT

JULY 22, 2002.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. HANSEN, from the Committee on Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 356] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill (S. 

356) to establish a National Commission on the Bicentennial of the 

Louisiana Purchase, having considered the same, report favorably 

thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of S. 356 is to establish a National Commission on 

the Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase cost the United States $15 million but it doubled the size of the country overnight and brought 

vast natural resources that had been untapped. To quote 

Tallyrand, ‘‘You have made a noble bargain for yourselves and I 

suppose you will make the most of it.’’ For the United States, it 

was only the beginning of an expansion that would stretch from the 

Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. 

All or part of 15 States were created from the land acquired in 

this purchase. It made possible the travels of Lewis and Clark, 

whose invaluable insight into the peoples and land beyond the Mississippi River emboldened many Americans to search for a new life 

out West. Around the world, the American Frontier became synonymous with the search for spiritual, economic, and political freedom. The Louisiana Purchase helped shape the American destiny. 

Commemoration of the Louisiana Purchase and the related opening 

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of the West can enhance public understanding of the impact of the 

democratic westward expansion on American society. 

This bill creates a Commission that will edify, publish, and display the importance of the Louisiana Purchase to all Americans. 

This bipartisan commission is partially modeled after the celebration of the American Bicentennial—striving to be inclusive of 

Americans. The commission will include important officials from 

each state created from the Purchase, museum and education officials, as well as members of Native American Tribes originating on 

the lands included in the Purchase. These officials will work together to recommend, organize, and oversee the 200th anniversary 

of the Louisiana Purchase. Commission tasks include planning the 

issuance of coins, stamps, medals, and certificates of recognition. 

Under a coordinated effort with libraries, museums, and historical 

sites, they will develop education programs for exhibit and display. 

The commission will produce and publish educational materials focusing on the history and the impact of the Louisiana Purchase. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

S. 356 was introduced on February 15, 2001, by Senator Mary 

Landrieu (D–LA). The bill was referred to the Committee on Resources and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands. On July 10, 2002, the 

Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands was 

discharged from further consideration of the S. 356 by unanimous 

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

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in 

the body of this report. 

FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

The functions of the proposed advisory committee authorized in 

the bill are not currently being nor could they be performed by one 

or more agencies, an advisory committee already in existence or by 

enlarging the mandate of an existing advisory committee. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8 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 preVerDate jun 06 2002 17:09 Jul 23, 2002 Jkt 099066 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR599.XXX pfrm15 PsN: HR599
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pared 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, credit authority, or an increase 

or decrease in expenditures. According to the Congressional Budget 

Office, the commission authorized by this bill may accept and 

spend donations, but these activities would amount to less than 

$500,000 annually and would offset each other. 

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 a National Commission on the Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase. 

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

Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, July 16, 2002. 

Hon. JAMES V. HANSEN, 

Chairman, Committee on Resources, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 356, the Louisiana Purchase 

Bicentennial Commission Act. 

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

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

Sincerely, 

BARRY B. ANDERSON, (For Dan L. Crippen, Director). 

Enclosure.

S. 356—Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Commission Act 

S. 356 would establish the National Commission on the Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase, consisting of 20 members, including 

a representative from each of the 14 States that comprise the 

former Louisiana Territory. The central office of the commission 

would be in Washington, DC, with additional offices in New Orleans and St. Louis. The commission would plan and develop activities to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase in December 2003. For this purpose, the bill would authorize 

the commission to accept and spend private donations. S. 356 

would direct the General Accounting Office to perform an annual 

audit of the commission’s financial transactions. The act would authorize the appropriation of $750,000 over the 2002–2004 period to 

carry out its provisions. 

CBO estimates that the commission would need to spend about 

$1.2 million over the 2003–2004 period to fulfill the requirements 

of the legislation—in particular, to set up and staff the three offices 

and prepare a report of its recommendations by December 2002. 

Because S. 356 would allow the commission to accept and spend 

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contributed funds, pay-as-you-go procedures would apply to the act. 

CBO estimates that any revenues from contributions and subsequent direct spending would be less than $500,000 annually and 

would offset each other. 

S. 356 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. 

On August 17, 2001, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 356, 

the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Commission Act, as passed by 

the Senate on August 3, 2001. The two versions of S. 356 are identical. Differences in the cost reflect a change in the estimate of 

when the legislation will be enacted. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Pickford, who 

can be reached at 226–2860. 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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