[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 960 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 960


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              July 9, 1997

   Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To validate certain conveyances in the City of Tulare, Tulare County, 
                  California, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that:
            (1) It is in the Federal Government's interest to 
        facilitate local development of jobs in areas of high 
        unemployment.
            (2) Railroad interests in rights-of-way prevent local 
        communities from obtaining clear title to property for 
        development unless the city also obtains the Federal 
        reversionary interest in those rights-of-way.
            (3) For development purposes, in order to secure needed 
        financing, the City of Tulare Redevelopment Agency requires 
        clear title to certain parcels of land within the city's 
        business corridor that are part of a railroad right-of-way.

SEC. 2. TULARE CONVEYANCE.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsections (c) and (d), all 
conveyances to the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Tulare, 
California, of lands described in subsection (b), heretofore or 
hereafter, made directly by the Southern Pacific Transportation 
Company, or its successors, are hereby validated to the extent that the 
conveyances would be legal or valid if all right, title, and interest 
of the United States, except minerals, were held by the Southern 
Pacific Transportation Company.
    (b) Lands Described.--The lands referred to in subsection (a) are 
the parcels shown on the map entitled ``Tulare Redevelopment Agency-
Railroad Parcels Proposed to be Acquired'', dated 5/29/97, that formed 
part of a railroad right-of-way granted to the Southern Pacific 
Railroad Company, or its successors, agents, or assigns, by the Federal 
Government (including the right-of-way approved by an Act of Congress 
on July 27, 1866). The map referred to in this subsection shall be on 
file and available for public inspection in the offices of the Director 
of the Bureau of Land Management.
    (c) Preservation of Existing Rights of Access.--Nothing in this 
section shall impair any existing rights of access in favor of the 
public or any owner of adjacent lands over, under or across the lands 
which are referred to in subsection (a).
    (d) Minerals.--The United States disclaims any and all right of 
surface entry to the mineral estate of lands described in subsection 
(b).

            Passed the House of Representatives July 8, 1997.

            Attest:

                                                ROBIN H. CARLE,

                                                                 Clerk.