[House Report 106-418]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Report
1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 106-418
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LAND CONVEYANCE, RIO ARRIBA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
_______
October 27, 1999.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 278]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill
(S. 278) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
certain lands to the county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico, having
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment
and recommend that the bill do pass.
Purpose of the Bill
S. 278 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
certain lands to the county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
S. 278 directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey land
known as the ``Old Coyote Administrative Site,'' a former U.S.
Forest Service administration site, to the County of Rio
Arriba, New Mexico. This site includes one Forest Service tract
of 130.27 acres, and another tract of 276.76 acres owned by the
Bureau of Land Management. Vacated in 1993 when the Forest
Service moved to its present location, the site contains
numerous buildings. These include a modular office constructed
in 1974, two residences constructed in 1958, and eight other
buildings.
This legislation is patterned after Public Law 103-132,
which directed the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer the Old
Taos Ranger District Station to the town of Taos, New Mexico.
As with the Taos Station, the Coyote Station will continue to
be used for public purposes, including a community center and a
fire sub-station. Some buildings will also be available for the
county to use for storage and repair of road maintenance
equipment and other county vehicles.
The land conveyance will be consistent with the pricing
program under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (the Act
of June 14, 1926, 43 U.S.C. 689). The land must be used for
public purposes and will revert back to the federal government
if not so used.
COMMITTEE ACTION
S. 278 was introduced on January 21, 1999, by Senator Pete
Domenici (R-NM). On March 25, 1999, the Senate passed the bill
without amendment by unanimous consent. The bill was then
referred to the Committee on Resources, and within the
Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public
Lands. On October 6, 1999, the Full Resources Committee met to
consider the bill. S. 278 was discharged from the Subcommittee
on National Parks and Public Lands by unanimous consent. No
amendments were offered. The bill was then ordered favorably
reported to the House of Representatives by voice vote.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations
are reflected in the body of this report.
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Article I, section 8, and Article IV, section 3, of the
Constitution of the United States grant Congress the authority
to enact this bill.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B)
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by 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, this
bill does not contain any new budget authority, credit
authority, or an increase or decrease in tax expenditures.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, enactment of this
bill would increase offsetting receipts and thus affect direct
spending, but the receipts would total less than $5,000 in
fiscal year 2000.
3. Government Reform Oversight Findings. Under 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 this bill.
4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate
for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, October 13, 1999.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 278, an act to
direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands to
the county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Victoria Heid
Hall.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson,
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
S. 278--An act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
certain lands to the county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico
S. 278 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey
about 407 acres of federal land to the county of Rio Arriba,
New Mexico, to be used for public purposes. CBO estimates that
enacting this legislation would have no significant impact on
the federal budget. Because the county would pay for this land,
S. 278 would affect direct spending by increasing offsetting
receipts. Therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would apply.
However, CBO estimates that the payment would total less than
$5,000 in fiscal year 2000.
S. 278 contains 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.
Purchase of this land would be voluntary on the part of the
county.
On March 10, 1999, CBO prepared a cost estimate for S. 278
as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources on March 4, 1999. The two versions of the
legislation are identical, as are the cost estimates.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Victoria Heid
Hall. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.