[House Report 106-21]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Report
1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 106-21
_______________________________________________________________________
JAMES F. BATTIN UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
_______
February 23, 1999.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
_______
Mr. Shuster, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 158]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 158) to designate the Federal
Courthouse located at 316 North 26th Street in Billings,
Montana, as the ``James F. Battin Federal Courthouse'', having
considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments
and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
The amendments are as follows:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The United States courthouse located at 316 North 26th Street in
Billings, Montana, shall be known and designated as the ``James F.
Battin United States Courthouse''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other
record of the United States to the United States courthouse referred to
in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``James F. Battin
United States Courthouse''.
Amend the title so as to read:
A bill to designate the United States courthouse located at 316
North 26th Street in Billings, Montana, as the ``James F. Battin United
States Courthouse''.
James F. Battin was born in Wichita, Kansas on February 13,
1925, and later moved to Montana where he attended public
schools, graduating from high school in 1942. Upon graduation,
he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for three
years in the Pacific.
After service in the military, Congressman Battin returned
to Montana and earned his B.A. degree from Eastern Montana
College in Billings, Montana in 1948. He then earned his J.D.
at the George Washington University Law School in Washington,
D.C., in 1951. He was admitted to the Washington, D.C. bar in
1951 and entered private practice.
In 1953, Judge Battin returned to Billings, Montana to
practice law. From 1953 until 1955, he held the position of
deputy Yellowstone County attorney. In 1955, Judge Battin first
held the secretary-counsel position for the Billings-
Yellowstone City-County Planning Board, and later that same
year became the assistant city attorney, and then city attorney
in 1957.
In 1958, Judge Battin was elected to the Montana State
House of Representatives. He then pursued national office and
was elected to represent Montana in the United States House of
Representatives in the 87th Congress, and returned to office
for four succeeding terms, from January 3, 1961 until February
27, 1969. During his tenure in Congress, Judge Battin served on
the Committee on Committees, the Executive Committee, the
Judiciary Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the
Ways and Means Committee. Additionally, he represented the
United States at an International Conference on European
Migration in Geneva, Switzerland, and was appointed by the
Speaker of the House to the United States Coinage Commission.
On February 27, 1969 President Nixon appointed Judge Battin
to the United States district court for the District of
Montana. Judge Battin became Chief Judge in 1978 and held the
position until 1990, when he was elected to take senior status.
From the bench he diligently served the District of Montana, as
well as serving additional assignments in United States
District Courts in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona,
Hawaii, and Georgia.
He passed away in autumn of 1996.
HEARINGS AND LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
H.R. 158 was introduced on January 6, 1999. The Committee
did not hold hearings on the reported legislation.
COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
On February 11, 1999, the Committee met in open session and
ordered reported H.R. 158, to designate the Federal building
located at 316 North 26th Street, Billings, Montana, as the
``James F. Battin United States Courthouse,'' discharged the
Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings,
Hazardous Materials and Pipeline Transportation, as amended, by
voice vote with a quorum present. There were no recorded votes
taken during Committee consideration of H.R. 158.
RECORD VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House of Representatives
requires each committee report to include the total number of
votes cast for and against on each record vote on a motion to
report and on any amendment offered to the measure or matter,
and the names of those members voting for and against. There
were no recorded votes taken in connection with ordering H.R.
158 reported. A motion by Mr. Franks to order H.R. 158
favorably reported to the House, as amended, was agreed to by
voice vote, a quorum being present.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are
reflected in this report.
COST OF THE LEGISLATION
Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is
included in this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
Committee references the report of the Congressional Budget
Office below.
2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee has received no report of oversight findings and
recommendations from the Committee on Government Reform on the
subject of H.R. 158.
3. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
Committee has received the following cost estimate for H.R. 158
from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, February 18, 1999.
Hon. Bud Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of
Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
reviewed the following bills, which were ordered reported by
the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on
February 11, 1999. CBO estimates that their enactment would
have no significant impact on the federal budget, and would not
affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go
procedures would not apply. The bills contain 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 bills reviewed are:
H.R. 92, a bill to designate the federal building and
United States courthouse located at 251 North Main
Street in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as the ``Hiram
H. Ward Federal Building and United States
Courthouse;''
H.R. 158, a bill to designate the United States
courthouse located at 316 North 26th Street in
Billings, Montana, as the ``James F. Battin United
States Courthouse'';
H.R. 233, a bill to designate the federal building
located at 700 East San Antonio Street in El Paso,
Texas, as the ``Richard C. White Federal Building'';
and
H.R. 396, a bill to designate the federal building
located at 1301 Clay Street in Oakland, California, as
the ``Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building.''
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is John R.
Righter.
Sincerely,
Dan L. Crippen, Director.
applicability to the legislative branch
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law
104-1).
federal mandates statement
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of the Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act (Public Law 104-4).
constitutional authority statement
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, committee reports on a bill or joint
resolution of a public character shall include a statement
citing the specific powers granted to the Congress in the
Constitution to enact the measure. The Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure finds that Congress has the
authority to enact this measure pursuant to its powers granted
under article I, section 8 of the Constitution.
advisory committee statement
No Advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this
legislation.
changes in existing law made by the bill, as reported
H.R. 158 makes no changes in existing law.