GovTrack’s Bill Summary
We don’t have a summary available yet.
H.R. 4003 (111th): Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act
- Introduced:
- Nov 03, 2009 (111th Congress, 2009–2010)
- Sponsor:
- Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D-NY22]
- Status:
- Died (Passed House)
- See Instead:
- This bill was re-introduced as H.R. 2452 (112th) on Jul 07, 2011.
The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. H.R. stands for House of Representatives bill.
Library of Congress Summary
The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.
3/19/2010--Passed House amended.
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on March 11, 2010.
The summary of that version is repeated here.) Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete a special resource study of the Hudson River Valley in the state of New York to evaluate:
(1) the national significance of the part of the Hudson River that flows from Rodgers Island at Fort Edward to the southern-most boundary of Westchester County, New York, including any relevant sites and landscapes within counties in New York that abut that part of the River (the study area); and
(2) the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National Park System (NPS). Instructs the Secretary, in conducting the study, to:
(1) determine the effect of designation of the study area as a unit of the System on specified existing commercial and recreational activities and the effect on the authority of state and local governments to manage these activities;
(2) identify any authorities that will compel or permit the Secretary to influence local land use decisions or place restrictions on non-federal land if the study area is designated as a System unit; and
(3) closely examine park unit models that encompass large areas of non-federal lands within their designated boundaries, foster public and private collaborative arrangements for achieving NPS objectives, and protect and respect private landowners' rights.
Requires the Secretary to submit a report to Congress on the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of such study.
House Republican Conference Summary
The summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.
This summary can be found at http://www.gop.gov/bill/111/2/hr4003.
Background
The Hudson River has played an important role in the history of Native American communities and crucial events relating to the French and Indian War and the American Revolution and Robert Fulton's first successful steamboat voyage. The study would cover an area spanning nearly 200 miles in 12 counties. The passage of legislation in 1996 establishing the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area provided a framework for additional heritage tourism opportunities in the river valley.
Carol W. LaGrasse, president of the Property Rights Foundation of America, testified before the Committee on Natural Resources, in opposition to the bill on January 21, 2010. Her concerns center around the problems associated with the National Park Service interfering with established legal access to private property should the area be deemed worthy of inclusion in the National Park System. She cited a similar situation in the Adirondack State Park.
Subcommittee Ranking Member Rob Bishop offered an amendment to the bill that would instruct the Secretary of the Interior to determine the effects of National Park Service designation on a variety of recreational, commercial, and energy concerns in the Hudson River Valley. Furthermore, the amendment would instruct the Secretary to determine any authorities that will compel or permit the Secretary to influence local land use decisions or place restrictions on non-federal land. The amendment was adopted by a roll call vote of 35-0.
Summary
H.R. 4003 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to complete a study of the Hudson River Valley to evaluate the national significance of the section of the Hudson River that flows from Rodgers Island at Fort Edward to the southern-most boundary of Westchester County, New York. The study will evaluate the suitability and feasibility of designating the area as a unit of the National Park System. Under the legislation, the Secretary would be required to report the findings of the study no later than 36 months after the date that funds are first made available. The Secretary would be required to determine the effects of National Park Service designation on a variety of recreational, commercial, and energy concerns in the Hudson River Valley.
Cost
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4003 would cost up to $500,000 over the next three years.
House Democratic Caucus Summary
The House Democratic Caucus does not provide summaries of bills.
So, yes, we display the House Republican Conference’s summaries when available even if we do not have a Democratic summary available. That’s because we feel it is better to give you as much information as possible, even if we cannot provide every viewpoint.
We’ll be looking for a source of summaries from the other side in the meanwhile.
The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:
Slip Laws
Slip laws refer to enacted bills and joint resolutions in their original form as enacted by Congress, that is, before other laws amend them. Slip laws are cited as “Public Law XXX-YYY”, where XXX is the number of the Congress in which the bill or resolution was introduced.
United States Code
The United States Code is the compilation of permanent laws enacted by Congress. Temporary and other non-permanent laws do not appear in the United States Code. (About half of the United States Code is the law itself, called positive law. The other half is merely a compilation of the laws but has no legal significance.)
- Title 16: CONSERVATION
- Chapter 1: NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES
- Subchapter I: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
- Section 1a-5: Additional areas for National Park System