[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2161 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2161

  To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Palmetto Bend 
                     Project to the State of Texas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 1997

   Mr. Paul introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Palmetto Bend 
                     Project to the State of Texas.

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

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Federal reclamation law.--The term ``Federal 
        reclamation law'' means the Act of June 17, 1902, and related 
        Acts (43 U.S.C. 371 et seq.).
            (2) Project.--The term ``Project'' means the Palmetto Bend 
        reclamation project, Texas, authorized by Public Law 90-562 (82 
        Stat. 999).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' means--
                    (A) the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority, a 
                governmental entity created by the State of Texas; or
                    (B) at the election of the Texas Water Development 
                Board (an agency of the State of Texas), the Lavaca-
                Navidad River Authority and the Texas Water Development 
                Board, jointly.

SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE.

    (a) Conveyance.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary, in exchange for the consideration described 
in subsection (b) and on the conditions stated in section 3, shall 
convey title to the Project to the State.
    (b) Consideration.--
            (1) Amount.--The consideration for the conveyance under 
        subsection (a) shall be the present value, determined under 
        paragraph (2), of the payment obligation for the reimbursable 
        costs of the Project, as reflected by the revised Repayment 
        Schedule issued by the Bureau of Reclamation for the Project on 
        August 24, 1994.
            (2) Determination.--The present value amount of the payment 
        obligation for the reimbursable costs of the Project shall be 
        determined as of the date that is 30 days prior to the date of 
        the conveyance under subsection (a) under the rules of section 
        1274(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 using a 
        discount rate equal to the applicable Federal rate determined 
        under section 1274(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

SEC. 3. CONDITIONS.

    The conveyance under section 2 shall be made on the condition that 
the State agree, for the purposes of ensuring adequate implementation 
of fish, wildlife, and recreational aspects of the Project and 
precluding any possibility of any future liability of the United States 
arising from the Project, that the State, on and after the date of the 
conveyance under section 2--
            (1) will implement Federal nonreimbursable aspects of the 
        Project;
            (2) assumes all liability for operation and maintenance of 
        the Project;
            (3) assumes sole responsibility and liability for the 
        Project; and
            (4) will hold the United States harmless and indemnify the 
        United States against any and all claims arising from the 
        Project.

SEC. 4. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

    Effective as of the date of the conveyance under section 2--
            (1) the State is relieved of any obligation arising after 
        that date to comply with Federal reclamation law with respect 
        to the Project;
            (2) the Project beneficiaries shall not be eligible to 
        receive reclamation benefits available under Federal 
        reclamation law; and
            (3) the Project is no longer authorized.
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