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H.R. 845, National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act 1 (September 19, 2016)

handle is hein.congrec/cbo3176 and id is 1 raw text is: CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE September 19, 2016 H.R. 845 National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act As ordered reported by the House Committee on Agriculture on September 14, 2016 H.R. 845 would require the Forest Service to develop a strategy to double the number of volunteers engaged in trail maintenance activities on Forest Service lands. The bill also would provide liability coverage for volunteers working for partner organizations (private entities whose members donate services to the Forest Service) on those lands. Finally, the bill would establish a pilot program that would allow firms operating on Forest Service lands to conduct trail maintenance work in lieu of paying an annual permitting fee to the agency. Based on information provided by the Forest Service, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $3 million a year over the 2017-2021 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. CBO also estimates that the bill would increase direct spending for additional compensation claims from volunteers related to workers compensation, torts, and lost or damaged personal property by $1 million over the 2017-2026 period; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 845 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits by more than $5 billion in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027. H.R. 845 would require the Forest Service to develop a strategy to double the number of volunteers engaged in trail maintenance activities and to prepare a report assessing the effectiveness of that strategy. In 2015, the agency spent about $13 million to recruit and manage roughly 80,000 volunteers, of which about 25 precent were engaged in activities related to trail maintenance. CBO estimates that efforts to double volunteer participation in such activities would cost $3 million a year over the 2017-2021 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. The bill also would make the federal government liable for damage claims from volunteers of partner organizations that have cooperative agreements with the Forest Service. (Under current law, the Forest Service is liable for individuals who volunteer directly.) That expansion would allow volunteers who are injured in the course of their organizations'

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