[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1843 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1843

   To amend title 31, United States Code, to address the failure to 
  appropriate sufficient funds to make full payments in lieu of taxes 
   under chapter 69 of such title by exempting certain users of the 
 National Forest System from fees imposed in connection with such use.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 10, 1997

   Mr. Bass (for himself, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Metcalf, Mr. 
  Parker, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. Boucher, Mr. Bono, Mr. Pastor, Mr. 
 Stump, Mr. Strickland, Mr. Deal of Georgia, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Wicker, 
Mr. Graham, Mrs. Cubin, Mr. Herger, Mr. Hill, Mr. Hayworth, Mr. Riggs, 
and Mrs. Emerson) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                       the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 31, United States Code, to address the failure to 
  appropriate sufficient funds to make full payments in lieu of taxes 
   under chapter 69 of such title by exempting certain users of the 
 National Forest System from fees imposed in connection with such use.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Local Free Access Act''.

SEC. 2. LOCAL EXEMPTIONS FROM FOREST SERVICE USER FEES ON ACCOUNT OF 
              LESS THAN FULL FUNDING OF PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAXES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Federal Government provides payments in lieu of 
        taxes under chapter 69 of title 31, United States Code, to 
        compensate units of general local government whose tax base is 
        diminished by Federal ownership of lands, including Federal 
        lands in the National Forest System administered by the Forest 
        Service.
            (2) Amounts appropriated to provide payments in lieu of 
        taxes under such chapter have been significantly less than the 
        amounts necessary to comply fully with the payment formulas 
        contained in such chapter.
            (3) By failing to fully fund payments in lieu of taxes to 
        units of general local government whose jurisdictions contain 
        Federal lands, including National Forest System lands, the 
        Federal Government is increasing the tax burden on local 
        property owners.
    (b) National Forest User Fee Exemption.--Section 6906 of title 31, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``Necessary''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Unless sufficient funds are appropriated for a fiscal year to 
provide full payments under this chapter to each unit of general local 
government eligible for such payments, persons residing within the 
boundaries of that unit of general local government shall be exempt 
during that fiscal year from any recreational user fees imposed by the 
Secretary of Agriculture for access to units of the National Forest 
System that lie, whole or in part, within such boundaries. The 
Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a method for identifying and 
exempting persons covered by this subsection from such user fees.''.
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