The Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs puts out weekly reports on hearings, new legislation and other activities on the Hill. This report covers the week ending on Friday, January 18th.

In order to obtain the full text of any of the bills that appear below, click on the following link: http://thomas.loc.gov/ . That will take you to Thomas, the Library of Congress legislative tracking system. Enter the bill number in the “Search Bill Text” block, being sure to also click on the “Bill Number” option below the block.

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New Public Laws

On January 14th, President Obama signed the following bills into law:

H.R. 4606 (Rehberg, R-MT-At Large), to authorize the issuance of right-of-way permits for natural gas pipelines in Glacier National Park, and for other purposes.  The law provides authority for the NPS to grant right-of-way permits for existing pipelines in the park.  It is Public Law 112-268.

H.R. 6364 (Poe, R-TX-2), the World War I Centennial Commission Act.  The bill authorizes a World War I Centennial Commission but omits authorization of a memorial, as provided for in the original House-passed version.  It is Public Law 112-272.

Floor Action

On January 15th, the House passed by a vote of 241-180, H.R. 152 (Rogers, R-KY-5), Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013.  The $50 billion aid package for recovery from Hurricane Sandy bill includes $348 million for NPS construction, $50 million for Historic Preservation Fund grants, and $360 million for the Department of the Interior for various expenses related to the consequences of Hurricane Sandy.  An amendment to require matching funds for the historic preservation grants was defeated; an amendment to prohibit any of the funds in the bill to be used for NPS or FWS land acquisition was adopted.  

Committee Activity

Nothing to report.

New Bills Introduced     

The following bills of interest to the NPS were introduced:

• H.R. 222 (Poe, R-TX-2), to amend the World War I Centennial Commission Act to provide for the designation of memorials to the service of members of the United States Armed Forces in World War I, and for other purposes.
• H.R. 250 (Chaffetz, R-UT-3), to amend the Antiquities Act of 1906 to place additional requirements on the establishment of national monuments under that Act, and for other purposes.
• H.R. 298 (Rogers, R-KY-5), to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to evaluate the significance of the Mill Springs Battlefield located in Pulaski and Wayne Counties, Kentucky, and the feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park System, and for other purposes.

Upcoming Committee Activity

Nothing to report.

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For additional information, please visit the Legislative and Congressional Affairs Office website at http://www.nps.gov/legal/

Contact Information
Name: Susan Martin