H.R. 1927 would require the Secretary of the Interior to establish the U.S. Civil Rights Network, within the National Park Service (NPS), to coordinate federal and nonfederal activities to commemorate, honor, and interpret the history of the African American civil rights movement during the 1939-1968 period. The network would comprise existing units and programs of the NPS related to that historical period as well as the properties and programs of other federal, state, local, and private entities that join the network.
Under the bill, the NPS would produce and distribute educational materials, create and adopt an official symbol for the proposed network, establish regulations for participation, and provide technical assistance to other entities interested in joining. To support the network and its activities, the bill would authorize the agency to execute cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding with private organizations and state and local governments.
Based on information from the NPS about the costs of administering similar programs, CBO estimates that the agency would need less than $500,000 in the first year following enactment for basic planning, developing educational materials and interpretive exhibits, and coordinating federal activities with those of other interested entities. In subsequent years, CBO expects that the agency would require about $1.5 million per year to manage the network and provide assistance to participating entities under cooperative agreements. In total, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost about $6 million over the 2018-2022 period and an additional $1.5 million annually thereafter; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1927 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 1927 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
