H.R. 2107

STATEMENT OF DONALD W. MURPHY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BEFORE THE SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS CONCERNING H.R. 2107, A BILL TO AMEND PUBLIC LAW 104-329 TO MODIFY AUTHORITIES FOR THE USE OF THE NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MEMORIAL MAINTENANCE FUND

November 15, 2005

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to present the Department of the Interior’s views on H.R. 2107, a bill to amend Public Law 104-329 to modify authorities for the use of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Maintenance Fund. The Department supports enactment of this legislation.

H.R. 2107 would amend Section 201 of Public Law 104-329, dated October 20, 1996. It would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, to maintain and repair the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., to periodically add names of officers who have died in the line of duty to the memorial, to provide security for the memorial site, and to disseminate information regarding the memorial to the general public. It also would transfer all amounts in the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Maintenance Fund (Maintenance Fund) to the corporation.

Public Law 98-534 authorized the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc. to establish the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The memorial recognizes the sacrifice of law enforcement officers and their families in preserving public safety and was dedicated on October 15, 2001. Section 201 of the Commemorative Coin Act of 1996 (Act) 1 2 established the Maintenance Fund, a revolving fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior, to deposit the surcharges from the sale of 500,000 commemorative silver dollars. Approximately $1.428 million was raised from the sale of these coins. These funds were to be used for adding names to the memorial wall, educating the public via the dissemination of information about the memorial and law enforcement, maintaining and repairing the memorial, and other memorial programs developed by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc.

The administration of the Maintenance Fund and other provisions of the Act were appropriate for the management of the memorial at the time the Maintenance Fund was established. However, with the completion of the memorial and the delineation of responsibilities for memorial programs that have occurred between the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc. and the National Park Service over the years, it is appropriate to transfer the authority from the Secretary of the Interior to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc. to manage the Maintenance Fund. This organization is one of the most valued partners the National Park Service works with today.

Mr. Chairman, that concludes my remarks. I would be pleased to answer any questions you or other members of the Subcommittee may have.