49–006 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 114–251 

MEDGAR EVERS HOUSE STUDY ACT 

SEPTEMBER 8, 2015.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 

of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 959] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 959) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 

a special resource study of the Medgar Evers House, located in 

Jackson, Mississippi, 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. 959 is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Medgar Evers House, 

located in Jackson, Mississippi. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 959 authorizes a special resource study by the Secretary of 

the Interior of the home of the late civil rights activist, Medgar 

Evers, located in Jackson, Mississippi. The Evers family home was 

the site of the assassination of prominent civil rights activist 

Medgar Evers in 1963 by Byron De La Beckwith, a member of the 

White Citizens’ Council. The home, now a museum operated by 

Tougaloo College, contains period furnishings, exhibits, and family 

photographs. 

The study will seek to determine the national significance of the 

Medgar Evers site. Based on the degree of significance, the Secretary will determine the feasibility of designating the site as a 

unit of the National Park System. During the study, the National 

Park Service will also consult and collaborate with various public 


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and private entities to determine costs and other factors associated 

with the acquisition, preservation, and maintenance of the site. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 959 was introduced on February 12, 2015, by Congressman 

Bennie G. Thompson (D–MS). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 

Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On June 16, 2015, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On July 8, 2015, the Natural 

Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee 

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

Representatives by unanimous consent on July 9, 2015. 

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 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) 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)(2)(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. 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: 

H.R. 959—Medgar Evers House Study Act 

H.R. 959 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the 

suitability and feasibility of designating the Medgar Evers House 

in Jackson, Mississippi, as a unit of the National Park System. Assuming the availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that 

carrying out the proposed study would cost about $200,000. Enacting H.R. 959 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

H.R. 959 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 Marin Burnett. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 

Director for Budget Analysis. 

2. Section 308(a) of 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 


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tax expenditures. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 

implementation of this bill would cost about $200,000. 

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 authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 

a special resource study of the Medgar Evers House, located in 

Jackson, Mississippi. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 

9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that this 

bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any specific 

rule-making proceedings. 

Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish or 

reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in 

any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 

pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or identified in the 

most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95–220, 

as amended by Public Law 98–169) as relating to other programs. 

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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