[Senate Report 115-142] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] Calendar No. 192 115th Congress } { Report SENATE 1st Session } { 115-142 ====================================================================== A BILL TO FACILITATE CONSTRUCTION OF A BRIDGE ON CERTAIN PROPERTY IN CHRISTIAN COUNTY, MISSOURI, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES _______ August 2, 2017.--Ordered to be printed _______ Mr. Barrasso, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works, submitted the following R E P O R T [To accompany S. 810] [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was referred the bill (S. 810) to facilitate construction of a bridge on certain property in Christian County, Missouri, and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass. GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to contribute to the cost of measures that will reduce the risk of future damage from a major disaster. No structures may be built on any property purchased with such funds. The Riverside Bridge in Christian County, Missouri, is a 100-year old, one lane bridge that is frequently closed due to flooding. The only location available to replace that bridge involves the use of land that was purchased using FEMA disaster mitigation funds. Unless Congress removes the restrictive covenant from that land, the County cannot replace the Riverside Bridge. OBJECTIVES OF THE LEGISLATION The objective of S. 810 is to lift a restrictive covenant on the use of certain land. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS Section 1. Riverside Bridge Project Section 1 authorizes the Riverside Bridge Project notwithstanding any Federal restrictions under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, subject to several conditions. The conditions on the authorization are: (1) no flood damage attributable to the project occurs, (2) if flood damage does occur the County (or the County's assignee) shall be liable for the damage, not the Federal Government, and (3) the property shall not be eligible for any future Federal disaster assistance. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY On April 4, 2017, Senator Blunt and Senator McCaskill introduced S. 810. The bill was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. On July 12, 2017, the Committee on Environment and Public Works met to consider an amendment in the nature of a substitute to S. 810 that made non-controversial changes to the bill. The bill, as amended, was ordered to be reported favorably by voice vote. HEARINGS No committee hearings were held on S. 810. ROLLCALL VOTES The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to consider S. 810 on July 12, 2017. The bill was ordered to be reported favorably by voice vote. REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee finds that S. 810 does not create any additional regulatory burdens, nor will it cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of individuals. MANDATES ASSESSMENT In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-4), the Committee notes that the Congressional Budget Office found that S. 810 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA), and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. COST OF LEGISLATION Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be included in the report, if available. That statement follows: U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, August 2, 2017. Hon. John Barrasso, Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 810, a bill to facilitate construction of a bridge on certain property in Christian County, Missouri, and for other purposes. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Sarah Puro and Robert Reese. Sincerely, Mark P. Hadley (For Keith Hall, Director). Enclosure. S. 810--A bill to facilitate construction of a bridge on certain property in Christian County, Missouri, and for other purposes S. 810 would provide Congressional authorization for the construction of a bridge in Ozark, Missouri. The bill would exempt the project from deed restrictions imposed on the proposed construction site by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The project would be built with a combination of funds from the Federal Highway Administration, FEMA, and the state of Missouri. Based on an analysis of information from the state and the affected agencies, CBO estimates that constructing the bridge would cost about $3 million with about $2 million of those amounts coming from federal sources. Thus, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $2 million over the 2018-2022 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 810 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting S. 810 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028. S. 810 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. The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Sarah Puro and Robert Reese. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. [all]