[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4122 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4122

  To prohibit the United States Government from entering into certain 
agreements or arrangements related to public lands without the express 
                      prior approval of Congress.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 1998

Mr. Vento (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Miller of California, Mr. Farr 
 of California, and Ms. DeGette) introduced the following bill; which 
               was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To prohibit the United States Government from entering into certain 
agreements or arrangements related to public lands without the express 
                      prior approval of Congress.

    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 ``American Natural Resources and 
Taxpayer Protection Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION.

    (a) In General.--No department, agency, or instrumentality of the 
United States may enter into any lease, contract, patent, bond, or 
other financial agreement or arrangement related to public lands or 
natural resources of the United States with any foreign person without 
the express prior approval of the Congress by law.
    (b) Cost Estimate.--Whenever any department, agency, or 
instrumentality of the United States proposes to enter into any lease, 
contract, patent, bond, or other financial agreement or arrangement 
that requires the approval of Congress under subsection (a)--
            (1) such agreement or arrangement shall be submitted to the 
        Congressional Budget Office and to the Congress, and
            (2) the Congressional Budget Office shall prepare and 
        submit to the Congress an estimate of the value or the public 
        lands or natural resources involved in such agreement or 
        arrangement.
    (c) Definition.--The term ``foreign person'' means each of the 
following--
            (1) Any individual who is not a citizen or national of the 
        United States.
            (2) Any person (other than an individual or government) 
        which is created or organized under the laws of a foreign 
        government or which has its principal place of business outside 
        the United States.
            (3) Any person (other than an individual or government) in 
        which, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior under 
        regulations which the Secretary shall prescribe, a significant 
        interest or substantial control is directly or indirectly held 
        by any individual referred to in paragraph (1) or any person 
        referred to in paragraph (2) or any combination of any such 
        individuals or persons.
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