89–006 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 111–444 

JOHN C. GODBOLD UNITED STATES JUDICIAL 

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 

MARCH 18, 2010.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. OBERSTAR, from the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 4275] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 

was referred the bill (H.R. 4275) to designate the annex building 

under construction for the Elbert P. Tuttle United States Court of 

Appeals Building in Atlanta, Georgia, as the ‘‘John C. Godbold 

United States Judicial Administration Building’’, having considered 

the same, report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend that the bill as amended do pass. 

The amendments are as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. DESIGNATION. 

The annex building under construction for the United States courthouse located 

at 56 Forsyth Street in Atlanta, Georgia, known as the Elbert P. Tuttle United 

States Court of Appeals Building, shall be known and designated as the ‘‘John C. 

Godbold Federal Building’’. 

SEC. 2. REFERENCES. 

Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the 

United States to the annex building referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be 

a reference to the ‘‘John C. Godbold Federal Building’’. 

Amend the title so as to read: 

A bill to designate the annex building under construction for the Elbert P. 

Tuttle United States Court of Appeals Building in Atlanta, Georgia, as the ‘‘John 

C. Godbold Federal Building’’. 

PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

H.R. 4275, as amended, designates the annex building under construction for the Elbert P. Tuttle United States Court of Appeals 


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Building in Atlanta, Georgia, as the ‘‘John C. Godbold Federal 

Building’’. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 4275 designates the annex building under construction for 

the Elbert P. Tuttle United States Court of Appeals Building at 56 

Forsyth Street in Atlanta, Georgia, as the ‘‘John C. Godbold Federal Building’’. 

John C. Godbold was born in 1920, in Coy, Alabama. He received 

a Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University in 1940 and 

attended Harvard Law School. His study of law was put on hiatus 

to serve in the armed forces during World War II. Following his 

service, Godbold graduated from Harvard Law School in 1948 and 

entered into private practice in Montgomery, Alabama. 

In 1966, Godbold was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for 

the 5th Circuit by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1981, he was 

appointed Chief Judge of the 5th Circuit. After creation of the U.S. 

Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in 1981, Godbold was appointed Chief Judge of the 11th Circuit. He is the only judge to act 

as Chief Judge of two Federal circuits. Beginning in 1987, he 

served as director of the Federal Judicial Center for three years before returning to the 11th Circuit for the remainder of his life. 

Judge Godbold received the 1996 Edward J. Devitt Distinguished 

Service to Justice Award and honorary doctorate degrees from Sanford, Auburn, and Stetson Universities in 1981, 1988, and 1994, respectively. His article, Twenty Pages and Twenty Minutes—Effective Advocacy on Appeal, is widely read in American jurisprudence. 

Judge Godbold passed away on December 22, 2009. 

SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Designation 

Section 1 designates the annex building under construction for 

the United States courthouse located at 56 Forsyth Street in Atlanta, Georgia, as the ‘‘John C. Godbold Federal Building’’. 

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 annex 

building referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference 

to the ‘‘John C. Godbold Federal Building’’. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On December 10, 2009, Representative John Lewis introduced 

H.R. 4275. This bill has not been introduced in a previous Congress. On March 3, 2010, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met in open session to consider H.R. 4275. The Committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute to the 

bill by voice vote. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ordered H.R. 4275, as amended, reported favorably to the 

House by voice vote with a quorum present. 

RECORD VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires each committee report to include the total number of 


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votes cast for and against on each recorded 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 

recorded votes taken in connection with consideration of H.R. 4275, 

or ordering the bill, as amended, reported. A motion to order H.R. 

4275, as amended, 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. 

COST OF LEGISLATION

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. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. With respect to the requirement of 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, the Committee references 

the report of the Congressional Budget Office included in the report. 

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

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the performance goals 

and objective of this legislation are to designate the annex building 

under construction for the United States courthouse located at 56 

Forsyth Street in Atlanta, Georgia, as the ‘‘John C. Godbold Federal Building’’. 

3. 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. 4275, as amended, from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, March 5, 2010. 

Hon. JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House 

of Representatives. Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed H.R. 4275, a bill to designate the annex building under construction for the Elbert P. Tuttle United States Court of Appeals 

Building in Atlanta, Georgia, as the ‘‘John C. Godbold Federal 

Building,’’ as ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on March 3, 2010. 

CBO estimates that enactment of this legislation would have no 

significant impact on the federal budget and would not affect direct 

spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would 

not apply. The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 


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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, 

DOUGLAS W. ELEMENDORF, 

Director. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI

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. H.R. 4275, as amended, does not 

contain any earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits under clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, committee reports on a bill or joint resolution 

of a public character shall include a statement citing the specific 

powers granted to the Congress in the Constitution to enact the 

measure. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

finds that Congress has the authority to enact this measure pursuant to its powers granted under article I, section 8 of the Constitution. 

FEDERAL MANDATES 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 intended to preempt state, local, or tribal law. The Committee states 

that H.R. 4275, as amended, 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 TO THE 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). 


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CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

H.R. 4275, as amended, makes no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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