[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 960 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                 Union Calendar No. 105
105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 960

                          [Report No. 105-171]

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 1997

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

                              July 8, 1997

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 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,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    The Congress finds that:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) It is in the Federal Government's interest to 
        facilitate local development of jobs in areas of high 
        unemployment.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Railroad interests in rights-of-way prevent 
        local communities from obtaining clear title to property for 
        redevelopment unless the city also obtains the Federal 
        reversionary interest in those rights-of-way.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) The City of Tulare Redevelopment Agency 
        requires clear title to 12 parcels of land within the city's 
        business corridor for development.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) The 12 parcels are part of a right-of-
        way.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) The Agency will be hindered in plans for 
        developing the area or securing needed financing unless the 
        Agency controls all 12 parcels.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. TULARE CONVEYANCE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, and subject to subsection (c), the following conveyance is hereby 
validated to the extent that the conveyances would have been legal or 
valid if all right, title, and interest of the United States had been 
held by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company at the time of such 
conveyance:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Conveyance of parcels from the lands described 
        in subsection (b) made by the Southern Pacific Transportation 
        Company or its subsidiaries, predecessors, successors, agents, 
        or assigns, on or before April 15, 1996.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Conveyance of parcels from the lands described 
        in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) made after April 
        15, 1996, by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, or 
        its successors, agents, or assigns, to the Redevelopment Agency 
        of the city of Tulare.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Lands Described.--The lands referred to in subsection 
(a) are the lands that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) 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); 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) are located within the boundaries of Amended 
        Urban Renewal Plan for California A-8-1 (the Downtown Plan) 
        adopted by the city of Tulare, California, generally depicted 
        on the map entitled ``Amended Urban Renewal Plan for California 
        A-8-1'', dated March 7, 1989.</DELETED>
<DELETED>The map referred to in paragraph (2) shall be on file and 
available for public inspection in the offices of the director of the 
Bureau of Land Management.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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).</DELETED>

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).




                                                 Union Calendar No. 105

105th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 960

                          [Report No. 105-171]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                              July 8, 1997

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed