[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1727 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1727

   To eliminate the fees associated with Forest Service special use 
 permits that authorize a church to use structures and improvements on 
  National Forest System lands for religious or educational purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 6, 1999

 Mr. Duncan (for himself and Mrs. Chenoweth) introduced the following 
        bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To eliminate the fees associated with Forest Service special use 
 permits that authorize a church to use structures and improvements on 
  National Forest System lands for religious or educational purposes.

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

SECTION 1. ELIMINATION OF FEES FOR FOREST SERVICE SPECIAL USE PERMITS 
              ISSUED TO CHURCHES.

    (a) Fees Prohibited.--After the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Agriculture may not impose or collect any fee in 
connection with the issuance to a church of a special use permit 
described in subsection (b). Nothing in this subsection shall affect 
those fees collected by the Secretary on or before that date.
    (b) Covered Special Use Permits.--A special use permit referred to 
in subsection (a) is a special use permit in effect after the date of 
the enactment of this Act that--
            (1) authorizes a church to occupy and use any structure or 
        improvement located on National Forest System lands for 
        religious or educational purposes; and
            (2) was issued by the Forest Service before that date, or 
        is issued by the Forest Service on or after that date, under 
        the authority of any special use permit law.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Church.--The term ``church'' means a church, a 
        convention or association of churches, or an elementary or 
        secondary school that is controlled, operated, or principally 
        supported by a church or a convention or association of 
        churches.
            (2) Special use permit law.--The term ``special use permit 
        law'' includes--
                    (A) the last paragraph under the heading ``forest 
                service'' in the Act of March 4, 1915 (16 U.S.C. 497);
                    (B) section 4(c) of the Land and Water Conservation 
                Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-6a(c));
                    (C) section 7 of the Act of April 24, 1950 (16 
                U.S.C. 580d; commonly known as the Granger-Thye Act); 
                and
                    (D) any other law authorizing the issuance of 
                special use permits by the Forest Service.
                                 <all>