[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2994 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2994

To provide for the conveyance of various reclamation projects to local 
               water authorities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 1, 1999

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the conveyance of various reclamation projects to local 
               water authorities, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sugar Pine Dam and Reservoir 
Conveyance Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For the purpose of this Act:
            (1) The term ``District'' means the Foresthill Public 
        Utility District, a political subdivision of the State of 
        California duly organized, existing, and acting pursuant to the 
        laws thereof with its principal place of business in the town 
        of Foresthill, Placer County, California.
            (2) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Interior.
            (3) The term ``Reclamation'' means the Department of the 
        Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.
            (4) The term ``Project'' means the Foresthill Divide Sub 
        Unit, including Sugar Pine Dam and Reservoir, the associated 
        conveyance system, holding reservoir, and treatment plant, 
        water rights, Reclamation rights described in the agreement of 
        June 11, 1985, with the Tahoe National Forest and other 
        associated interests owned and held by the United States 
        authorized as a part of the Auburn-Folsom South Unit under the 
        Act of September 2, 1965 (79 Stat. 615). The Project is 
        currently operated and maintained by the District.
            (5) The term ``Water Service Contract'' means Water Service 
        Contract Number 14-06-200-3684A, dated February 13, 1978, as 
        amended between the District and the United States.

SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF THE PROJECT.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall, as soon as practicable after 
the date of enactment of this Act, transfer all right, title, and 
interest in and to the Sugar Pine Project to the District. Reclamation 
withdrawal established by Public Land Order 5726 dated 5/27/1980, 
covering the reservoir area in the Tahoe National Forest is hereby 
revoked in its entirety.
    (b) Sale Price.--The Secretary is authorized to receive from the 
District $2,772,221 to relieve payment obligations and extinguish the 
debt with respect to the Project. Notwithstanding the previous 
sentence, the District shall continue to make payments required by 
section 3407 of Public Law 102-575 through year 2023.

SEC. 4. RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING OPERATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed as 
significantly expanding or otherwise changing the use or operation of 
the Project from its current use and operation.
    (b) Future Alterations.--If the District alters the operations or 
uses of the Project, it shall comply with all applicable laws or 
regulations governing such changes at that time.

SEC. 5. LIABILITY.

    Effective on the date of conveyance of the Project described 
herein, the United States shall not be held liable by any court for 
damages of any kind arising out of any act, omission, or occurrence 
relating to such Project, except damages caused by acts of negligence 
committed by the United States or its employees, agents, or contractors 
prior to the date of title transfer. Nothing in this section shall be 
deemed to increase the liability of the United States beyond that 
currently provided in the Federal Tort Claims Act (28 U.S.C. 2671 et 
seq.).
                                 <all>