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[Senate Report 111-164]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                       Calendar No. 326
111th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     111-164

======================================================================

 
      CHESAPEAKE BAY GATEWAYS AND WATERTRAILS NETWORK CONTINUING 
                           AUTHORIZATION ACT

                                _______
                                

   March 22 (legislative day, March 19), 2010.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

    Mrs. Boxer, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 479]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 
referred a bill (S. 479) to amend the Chesapeake Bay Initiative 
Act of 1998 to provide for the continuing authorization of the 
Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without 
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                    General Statement and Background

    Originally authorized in 1998, the Chesapeake Gateways and 
Watertrails program set up a network of Chesapeake Bay-related 
sites, such as parks, wildlife refuges, and trails. The 
National Park Service (NPS) provides matching grants for 
projects that enhance public education of and access to the 
Chesapeake Bay. Visitation at Gateways sites exceeds 10 million 
people annually, and the competitive grants program is 
currently oversubscribed.
    At the direction of Congress, the National Park Service 
conducted its Chesapeake Bay Special Resource Study in 2004. 
The draft study concluded that an enhanced version of the 
Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network would be the most effective and 
efficient way for the NPS to help protect and raise interest in 
the Chesapeake Bay. The NPS has incorporated the Gateways 
Network into its permanent operations.
    The current authorization of the Chesapeake Gateways and 
Watertrails Act expired in 2007. S. 479, the Chesapeake Bay 
Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act, 
will make the authorization permanent.

                     Objectives of the Legislation

    The Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network 
Continuing Authorization Act amends the Chesapeake Bay 
Initiative Act of 1998 to make permanent the authorization of 
appropriations for the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails 
Network.

                      Section-by-Section Analysis

Section 1. Short title

    This section provides that this Act may be cited as the 
``Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing 
Authorization Act''.

Sec. 2. Authorization of appropriations

    This section amends Section 502 of the Chesapeake Bay 
Initiative Act of 1998 (16 U.S.C. 461 note; Public Law 105-312) 
by making the authorization permanent.

                          Legislative History

    On February 25, 2009, Senator Cardin introduced this 
legislation, which was cosponsored by Senators Carper, Casey, 
Kaufman, Mikulski, Specter, Warner, and Webb. The bill was 
received, read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on 
Environment and Public Works. The committee met on June 18, 
2009, to consider the bill, and ordered S. 479 to be reported 
favorably without amendment.

                                Hearings

    No committee hearings were held on S. 479.

                             Rollcall Votes

    The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to 
consider S. 479 on June 18, 2009. The bill was ordered 
favorably reported by voice vote. No rollcall votes were taken.

                      Regulatory Impact Statement

    In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee finds that S. 479 
does not create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it 
cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of 
individuals.

                          Mandates Assessment

    In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
(Public Law 104-4), the committee finds that S. 479 would not 
impose Federal intergovernmental unfunded mandates on State, 
local, or tribal governments.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

S. 479--Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing 
        Authorization Act

    Summary: S. 479 would authorize funding for the Chesapeake 
Bay Initiative, a program carried out by the National Park 
Service (NPS) and other federal agencies to conserve resources 
in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Assuming appropriation of the 
necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing this 
legislation would cost $5 million over the 2010-2014 period.
    The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated 
budgetary impact of S. 479 is shown in the following table. The 
costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300 
(natural resources and environment).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                                    ------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       2010      2011      2012      2013      2014    2010-2014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Estimated Authorization Level......................         1         1         1         1         1          5
Estimated Outlays..................................         1         1         1         1         1          5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that S. 
479 will be enacted near the end of 2009 and that the amounts 
estimated to be necessary will be appropriated for each fiscal 
year. Estimated outlays are based on historical spending 
patterns for this program.
    S. 479 would authorize (indefinitely) the appropriation of 
whatever amounts are necessary for projects carried out under 
the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998. Based on recent 
appropriations for the initiative, CBO estimates that the NPS 
would spend about $1 million annually under the bill, mostly 
for grants to nonfederal entities. The previous authorization 
of appropriations for the program, which expired at the end of 
fiscal year 2008, was $3 million annually, but appropriations 
have generally been about one-third of that amount each year.
    Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 479 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or 
tribal governments. State and local governments could benefit 
from grants authorized by the bill.
    Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs, Deborah Reis; Impact 
on State, Local, and Tribal Governments, Melissa Merrell; 
Impact on the Private Sector, Amy Petz.
    Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant Director 
for Budget Analysis.

                        Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill 
as reported are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be 
omitted is enclosed in [black brackets], new matter is printed 
in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown 
in roman:

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              

CHESAPEAKE BAY INITIATIVE ACT OF 1998

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  (a) Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network.--
          (1) In general.--* * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

  [(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this section 3,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 1999 through 2003.]
  (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to 
be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this 
section.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              

                                  
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