29–006 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 113–191 

NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY LAND CONVEYANCE ACT OF 

2013 

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, from the Committee on Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 304] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (S. 304) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the 

State of Mississippi 2 parcels of surplus land within the boundary 

of the Natchez Trace Parkway, 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 S. 304 is to direct the Secretary of the Interior 

to convey to the State of Mississippi two parcels of surplus land 

within the boundary of the Natchez Trace Parkway. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The Natchez Trace Parkway extends 444 miles from Nashville, 

Tennessee, through the northwestern corner of Alabama, to Natchez, Mississippi. Congress authorized construction of the Natchez 

Trace Parkway and designated it as a unit of the National Park 

System in 1938. 

The southern terminus in Natchez, Mississippi, was the final section of the Parkway constructed and completed in 2005. For years 

prior to its completion, it was uncertain where the Parkway would 

terminate. The State of Mississippi acquired and donated two different parcels of land to the National Park Service (NPS) to accommodate a variety of possible construction alternatives. After the 


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Parkway’s completion, the land acquired for those alternate termination points remained unused by NPS. 

The unused property includes two parcels: the Bean field and the 

Feltus property, 38 and 29 acres respectively. The City of Natchez 

wishes to develop the Bean field parcel as a recreational complex, 

and NPS seeks to return the unused parcels back to the State. 

S. 304 would authorize the transfer of 67 acres of identified unused Federal land back to the State, and adjust the boundary of 

the Parkway to exclude the conveyed land and include 10 acres of 

lands already managed by NPS. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

S. 304 was introduced on February 13, 2013, by Senator Thad 

Cochran (R–MS). On June 19, 2013, the bill passed the Senate by 

unanimous consent without amendment. The bill was then referred 

to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee 

to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. On July 19, 2013, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the 

bill. On July 24, 2013, the full Resources Committee met to consider S. 304. The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation was discharged by unanimous consent. No 

amendments were offered and the bill was adopted and 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. 

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: 

S. 304—Natchez Trace Parkway Land Conveyance Act of 2013 

S. 304 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to convey 

about 67 acres of property in the Nachez Trace Parkway to the 

state of Mississippi. The legislation also would adjust the boundaries of the parkway to include 10 additional acres. Based on information provided by NPS, CBO estimates that implementing the act 

would have no significant impact on the federal budget. Enacting 

S. 304 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, payas-you-go procedures do not apply. 


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S. 304 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 March 27, 2013, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 304, 

the Natchez Trace Parkway Land Conveyance Act of 2013, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources on March 14, 2013. The two versions of the legislation 

are identical, and the CBO cost estimates are the same. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von Gnechten. 

The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, 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 

tax expenditures. Based on information provided by NPS, CBO estimates that implementing the act would have no significant impact on the federal budget. 

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 direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the 

State of Mississippi two parcels of surplus land within the boundary of the Natchez Trace Parkway. 

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. 


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CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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