[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2868 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2868

   To guarantee States and counties containing Federal forest lands 
consistent compensation for the loss of property tax revenues from such 
 lands instead of a percentage of the declining revenues derived from 
                             timber sales.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 15, 1999

  Mr. DeFazio (for himself, Mr. McDermott, and Mr. Wu) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and 
     in addition to the Committee on Resources, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To guarantee States and counties containing Federal forest lands 
consistent compensation for the loss of property tax revenues from such 
 lands instead of a percentage of the declining revenues derived from 
                             timber sales.

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

SECTION 1. GUARANTEED PAYMENTS FOR STATES AND COUNTIES WITH FEDERAL 
              FOREST LANDS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible state or county.--The term ``eligible State or 
        Territory'' or ``eligible county'' means a State, Territory, or 
        county in the United States that was entitled, for any three 
        years during the 12-fiscal year period beginning October 1, 
        1986, to payments under a forest receipts law.
            (2) Forest receipts law.--The term ``forest receipts law'' 
        means each of the following:
                    (A) The sixth paragraph under the heading ``FOREST 
                SERVICE'' in the Act of May 23, 1908 (16 U.S.C. 500) 
                and section 13 of the Act of March 1, 1911 (commonly 
                known as the Weeks Act; 16 U.S.C. 500).
                    (B) Title II of the Act of August 28, 1937 (chapter 
                876; 43 U.S.C. 1181f).
                    (C) The first section of the Act of May 24, 1939 
                (chapter 144; 43 U.S.C. 1181f-1).
                    (D) The paragraph under the heading ``payments to 
                states (proceeds of sales)'' in the Interior Department 
                Appropriation Act, 1952 (65 Stat. 252; chapter 375).
                    (E) Section 13982 of the Omnibus Budget 
                Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-66; 16 
                U.S.C. 500 note).
                    (F) Section 13983 of the Omnibus Budget 
                Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-66; 43 
                U.S.C. 1181f note).
            (3) Guaranteed payment amount.--The term ``guaranteed 
        payment amount'', with respect to a eligible State or Territory 
        or an eligible county, means the amount determined in 
        subsection (c)(1) with respect to the State, Territory, or 
        county, including adjustments required by subsection (c)(2).
    (b) Annual Payment Required.--For fiscal year 2000 and each 
subsequent fiscal year, the Secretary of the Treasury shall make a 
payment, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
to each eligible State or Territory and each eligible county in an 
amount equal to the guaranteed payment amount for the State, Territory, 
or county.
    (c) Determination of Guaranteed Payment Amount.--
            (1) Use of three-year high average or 1998 payment.--The 
        guaranteed payment amount for each eligible State or Territory 
        and each eligible county shall be equal to the higher of the 
        following:
                    (A) 100 percent of the average annual payments made 
                directly to that State, Territory, or county under the 
                forest receipts laws for the three fiscal years during 
                the 11-fiscal year period beginning October 1, 1986, in 
                which the amount of such payments to that State, 
                Territory, or county were the highest.
                    (B) 100 percent of the amount of the payment made 
                directly to that State, Territory, or county under the 
                forest receipts laws for fiscal year 1998.
            (2) Inflation adjustment.--Effective on October 1 of each 
        fiscal year, the Secretary shall adjust the guaranteed payment 
        amounts determined under paragraph (1) by the percent change in 
        the Consumer Price Index (all items--United States city 
        average) for the last three months of the preceding fiscal year 
        over the Consumer Price Index (all items--United States city 
        average) for the last three months of the second preceding 
        fiscal year, adjusted to the nearest \1/10\ of one percent.
    (d) Effect on Other Payment Authorities.--Payments shall not be 
made for a fiscal year under any forest receipts law if full payments 
are made under this section for that same fiscal year.
    (e) Continuation of Restrictions on Use of Payments.--Payments made 
under this section to a State, Territory, or county shall be subject to 
the same use restrictions that applied to payments previously made to 
that State, Territory, or county under forest receipts laws.
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