Description:
S. 2831 would redesignate the Golden Spike National Historic Site in Promontory, Utah, as the Golden Spike National Historical Park. The bill also would direct the National Park Service (NPS) to establish the Transcontinental Railroad Network, which would comprise existing units and programs of the NPS related to the history of the Transcontinental Railroad as well as the properties and programs of other federal, state, local, and private entities that join the network. Redesignating the Golden Spike National Historic Site may require the NPS to update maps, informational materials, and signage. Based on the costs of similar tasks, CBO estimates that those costs would be insignificant and would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. As part of establishing the Transcontinental Railroad Network, the NPS would produce and distribute maps and interpretive guides, create and adopt an official symbol for the network, and provide assistance to participating entities. Using information from the NPS about the costs of administering similar efforts and based on the expected scope of the program, CBO estimates that the agency would need less than $500,000 in the first year following enactment for basic planning, developing educational materials, and coordinating activities with participating entities. In subsequent years, CBO estimates that the NPS would require about $1 million each year to manage the network and provide technical assistance to participating entities through cooperative agreements. In total, CBO estimates that implementing S. 2831 would cost about $4 million over the 2019-2023 period; such spending would be subject to availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 2831 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2831 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. S. 2831 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. On June 22, 2018, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 5751, the Golden Spike 150th Anniversary Act, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on June 6, 2018. The two pieces of legislation are similar, and CBO’s estimates of their budgetary effects are the same.
