119-S-287 Investigative Journalist Impact Analysis

Summary

S. 287 (Marcella LeBeau Recognition Act) designates the existing federal building at 225 South Pierre Street, Pierre, South Dakota, as the “Marcella LeBeau Federal Building.” The bill is ceremonial: it changes the name only and includes a standard references clause. No authorizations for construction, programmatic activity, or policy change are present. As of October 29, 2025, it was reported by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee without amendment and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar (General Orders, Calendar No. 223). [2]Congress.gov — Congress.gov – S.287 bill text (Introduced in Senate)[1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov – S.287 overview page (actions and calendar)

Economic Effects

Direct and indirect economic impacts are expected to be minimal and one‑time in nature, consistent with prior CBO scoring of comparable measures. [3]Congress.gov — House Report 118-870 – CBO estimate entries (includes H.R. 6984,…[5]Congress.gov — Senate Report 115-119 – CBO notes on signage costs for renaming…

• Budgetary impact: No effect on revenues or mandatory spending; implementing costs typically less than $500,000 (signage, directory, IT/records updates) based on CBO scoring of analogous federal building designations and public‑space renamings. [3]Congress.gov — House Report 118-870 – CBO estimate entries (includes H.R. 6984,…[5]Congress.gov — Senate Report 115-119 – CBO notes on signage costs for renaming…
• Agency operations/tenants: No change to mission, staffing, leases, or services; measure is a renaming only per bill text. [2]Congress.gov — Congress.gov – S.287 bill text (Introduced in Senate)
• Local economy: Any effects (e.g., a one‑time dedication event, minor wayfinding updates) are transitory; there is no evidence of sustained market, income, or employment changes from similar federal naming acts. [3]Congress.gov — House Report 118-870 – CBO estimate entries (includes H.R. 6984,…

Committee and calendar history confirm the bill’s ceremonial scope; no appropriations or program provisions are included. [1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov – S.287 overview page (actions and calendar)

Values reflect the upper-bound characterization CBO has used for similar naming measures; S. 287 has no posted estimate as of October 30, 2025. [3]Congress.gov — House Report 118-870 – CBO estimate entries (includes H.R. 6984,…[1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov – S.287 overview page (actions and calendar)

Social Effects

Impacts are symbolic but meaningful to stakeholders connected to Marcella LeBeau’s legacy (Lakota communities, veterans, public health advocates). [4]South Dakota Public Broadcasting — SDPB – Rounds, Thune introduce legislation t…[6]Military Times — Military Times – Marcella LeBeau, WWII nurse and tribal leader…

• Formal federal recognition: The naming publicly honors Marcella LeBeau, a Lakota nurse and WWII Army Nurse Corps veteran, aligning federal commemoration with her documented service and leadership record. [6]Military Times — Military Times – Marcella LeBeau, WWII nurse and tribal leader…
• Community reception: Sponsors highlighted local and tribal support; the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association endorsed the naming, indicating positive salience among affected communities. [4]South Dakota Public Broadcasting — SDPB – Rounds, Thune introduce legislation t…
• Civic memory and representation: CRS classifies building namings as a common congressional commemorative tool used to honor individuals of local/national importance, reinforcing collective memory without creating policy or program changes. [7]Congressional Research Service — CRS Report R43539 – Commemorations in Congress…

Environmental Effects

• No construction or operational change: Bill text solely redesignates the building’s name and updates federal references; it authorizes no physical works, permitting, or land‑use actions. Environmental effects are therefore negligible. [2]Congress.gov — Congress.gov – S.287 bill text (Introduced in Senate)
• NEPA context: Because the measure directs only a name change and entails no agency decision with on‑the‑ground effects, standard NEPA review triggers are not implicated. Agencies use categorical exclusions for actions that normally lack significant environmental effects; a naming‑only statute fits that non‑impact pattern. [8]LII / Cornell Law School — 40 CFR § 1501.4 – Categorical exclusions (CEQ NEPA r…

Temporal Analysis

1. Immediate (enactment to ~12 months): One‑time administrative tasks (exterior/interior signage replacement; updates to directories, digital systems, and legal references) incurring de minimis discretionary costs, historically scored below $500,000 on similar measures. [3]Congress.gov — House Report 118-870 – CBO estimate entries (includes H.R. 6984,…[5]Congress.gov — Senate Report 115-119 – CBO notes on signage costs for renaming…
2. Medium to long term (1+ years): No recurring fiscal, labor‑market, or environmental effects; durable symbolic recognition for the honoree and associated communities persists without operational change. [7]Congressional Research Service — CRS Report R43539 – Commemorations in Congress…

Unintended Consequences

Credible risks are limited and administrative in nature; none rise to material economic, social, or environmental impact based on analogous federal actions. [3]Congress.gov — House Report 118-870 – CBO estimate entries (includes H.R. 6984,…[5]Congress.gov — Senate Report 115-119 – CBO notes on signage costs for renaming…

• Administrative friction: Minor risk of temporary confusion across signage, maps, or records during the transition; CBO has noted signage and related implementation costs as the principal effect in comparable renamings. [5]Congress.gov — Senate Report 115-119 – CBO notes on signage costs for renaming…
• Small discretionary spend: Agencies (e.g., GSA) incur one‑time costs to update signs and wayfinding; prior CBO discussions of building/plaza namings consistently cap these at less than $500,000. [3]Congress.gov — House Report 118-870 – CBO estimate entries (includes H.R. 6984,…[5]Congress.gov — Senate Report 115-119 – CBO notes on signage costs for renaming…

Assessment

Overall stance: neutral. The bill’s effects are overwhelmingly ceremonial with negligible fiscal and environmental impact and with positive—but intangible—community‑recognition benefits. [2]Congress.gov — Congress.gov – S.287 bill text (Introduced in Senate)[3]Congress.gov — House Report 118-870 – CBO estimate entries (includes H.R. 6984,…

Sourcing

Key sources used in this analysis:

• Congress.gov: Bill text and actions for S. 287, including October 29, 2025 placement on the Senate calendar and committee reporting. [2]Congress.gov — Congress.gov – S.287 bill text (Introduced in Senate)[1]Congress.gov — Congress.gov – S.287 overview page (actions and calendar)
• CRS: Commemorations in Congress (scope and typical use of building namings). [7]Congressional Research Service — CRS Report R43539 – Commemorations in Congress…
• CBO analogs: House Report 118‑870 entry for H.R. 6984 (federal building designation; < $500k implementing costs) and Senate Report excerpt for “Boris Nemtsov Plaza” (< $500k signage). [3]Congress.gov — House Report 118-870 – CBO estimate entries (includes H.R. 6984,…[5]Congress.gov — Senate Report 115-119 – CBO notes on signage costs for renaming…
• Local coverage and stakeholder endorsements: South Dakota Public Broadcasting on the bill’s introduction and tribal support; Military Times on Marcella LeBeau’s service and legacy. [4]South Dakota Public Broadcasting — SDPB – Rounds, Thune introduce legislation t…[6]Military Times — Military Times – Marcella LeBeau, WWII nurse and tribal leader…