89–008 

1Thornley, Stew. ‘‘Roberto Clemente.’’ Society for American Baseball Research. https:// 

sabr.org/bioproj/person/8b153bc4. 2 ‘‘Beyond Baseball: The Life of Roberto Clemente.’’ Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. http://www.robertoclemente.si.edu/english/virtualllegacy.htm. 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 115–988 

URGING THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO RECOGNIZE THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ROBERTO CLEMENTE’S PLACE OF DEATH NEAR 

PIN ̃ ONES IN LOI ́ZA, PUERTO RICO, BY ADDING IT TO THE NATIONAL 

REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES 

OCTOBER 12, 2018.—Referred to the House Calendar 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. Res. 792] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

resolution (H. Res. 792) urging the Secretary of the Interior to recognize the historical significance of Roberto Clemente’s place of 

death near Pin ̃ ones in Loı ́za, Puerto Rico, by adding it to the National Register of Historic Places, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that 

the resolution be agreed to. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of House Resolution 792 is to urge the Secretary of 

the Interior to recognize the historical significance of Roberto 

Clemente’s place of death near Pin ̃ ones in Loı ́za, Puerto Rico, by 

adding it to the National Register of Historic Places. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Roberto Clemente Walker was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, in 

1934. Clemente grew up playing baseball and truly loved the sport, 

beginning his professional career in the Puerto Rican League.1

Clemente was drafted into the major leagues in 1954. He played 

18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates and became a legend in the 

sport. He won 12 Gold Gloves, 4 National League batting titles, 12 

All-Star Game selections, 2 World Series Championships, and 

reached the 3,000-hit milestone.2

Perhaps equally as important as Clemente’s accomplishments on 

the field was his role as an advocate for equitable treatment of 

2 

3Thornley, Stew. ‘‘Roberto Clemente.’’ Society for American Baseball Research. https:// 

sabr.org/bioproj/person/8b153bc4. 4 Id. 

5 Id. 

6 ‘‘Roberto Clemente.’’ National Baseball Hall of Fame. https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/ 

clemente-roberto. 7 Id. 

8 ‘‘Roberto Clemente Award.’’ Major League Baseball website. http://m.mlb.com/awards/historywinners/?awardlid=MLBRC&year=2014. 9 ‘‘Roberto Walker Clemente Congressional Gold Medal.’’ History, Art & Archives. United 

States House of Representatives. http://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/35733; ‘‘Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom.’’ George W. Bush. July 23, 2003. The 

American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=64890. 

Latino baseball players.3 He saw his career in baseball as a way 

to help Latin Americans, especially underprivileged Puerto Ricans, 

make their lives better.4 Clemente spent much of his time during 

the off-season involved in charity work, frequently in Latin American countries and the Caribbean.5

After a massive earthquake hit Nicaragua in late December 

1972, Clemente headed up a relief effort and decided to accompany 

the supply plane. Shortly after takeoff from the San Juan, Puerto 

Rico, airport on December 31, 1972, the plane crashed, killing 

Clemente.6

The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, waived 

the rule requiring a five-year wait after retirement (or death) before a player could be elected to the Hall, and in July 1973 

Clemente was the first player born in Latin America to be inducted 

into the national baseball shrine.7 The award presented annually 

to a Major League baseball player for exemplary sportsmanship 

and community service was renamed the Roberto Clemente Award 

in 1973.8 Clemente was posthumously awarded both the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.9

To honor Roberto Clemente as the embodiment of a baseball legend, a great humanitarian and athlete, House Resolution Res. 792 

requests that the Secretary of the Interior recognize the crash site 

of Roberto Clemente’s airplane and the adjacent land by adding the 

site to the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is the official federal government list of sites and structures 

deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. It 

was created under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 

(54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.). 

COMMITTEE ACTION

House Resolution 792 was introduced on March 20, 2018, by 

Congressman Jose ́ E. Serrano (D–NY). The bill was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 

Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On September 27, 2018, 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. 

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. 

3 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET

ACT

1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives and sections 308(a) and 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has 

requested but not received a cost estimate for the bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office. However, because the 

bill is a House resolution merely urging the Secretary of the Interior to take a particular action and has no legal effect, the Committee concludes that it will have no effect on the federal budget, 

contains no unfunded mandates, and does not affect revenues or direct spending. 

2. 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 urge the Secretary of the Interior to recognize the 

historical significance of Roberto Clemente’s place of death near 

Pin ̃ ones in Loı ́za, Puerto Rico, by adding it to the National Register 

of Historic Places. 

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. This bill does not contain any directed 

rule makings. 

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 to existing law. 

Æ