[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5618 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5618

  To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey National Forest 
             System lands for use for educational purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 1, 2000

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey National Forest 
             System lands for use for educational 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 ``Education Land Grant Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS FOR EDUCATIONAL 
              PURPOSES.

    (a) Authority To Convey.--Upon written application, the Secretary 
of Agriculture may convey National Forest System lands to a public 
school district for use for educational purposes if the Secretary 
determines that--
            (1) the public school district seeking the conveyance will 
        use the conveyed land for a public or publicly funded 
        elementary or secondary school, to provide grounds or 
        facilities related to such a school, or for both purposes;
            (2) the conveyance will serve the public interest;
            (3) the land to be conveyed is not otherwise needed for the 
        purposes of the National Forest System;
            (4) the total acreage to be conveyed does not exceed the 
        amount reasonably necessary for the proposed use;
            (5) the land is to be used for an established or proposed 
        project that is described in detail in the application to the 
        Secretary, and the conveyance would serve public objectives 
        (either locally or at large) that outweigh the objectives and 
        values which would be served by maintaining such land in 
        Federal ownership;
            (6) the applicant is financially and otherwise capable of 
        implementing the proposed project;
            (7) the land to be conveyed has been identified for 
        disposal in an applicable land and resource management plan 
        under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act 
        of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.); and
            (8) an opportunity for public participation in a disposal 
        under this section has been provided, including at least one 
        public hearing or meeting, to provide for public comments.
    (b) Acreage Limitation.--A conveyance under this section may not 
exceed 80 acres. However, this limitation shall not be construed to 
preclude an entity from submitting a subsequent application under this 
section for an additional land conveyance if the entity can demonstrate 
to the Secretary of Agriculture a need for additional land.
    (c) Costs and Mineral Rights.--(1) A conveyance under this section 
shall be for a nominal cost. The conveyance may not include the 
transfer of mineral or water rights.
    (2) If necessary, the exact acreage and legal description of the 
real property conveyed under this title shall be determined by a survey 
satisfactory to the Secretary of Agriculture and the applicant. The 
cost of the survey shall be borne by the applicant.
    (d) Review of Applications.--When the Secretary of Agriculture 
receives an application under this section, the Secretary shall--
            (1) before the end of the 14-day period beginning on the 
        date of the receipt of the application, provide notice of that 
        receipt to the applicant; and
            (2) before the end of the 120-day period beginning on that 
        date--
                    (A) make a final determination whether or not to 
                convey land pursuant to the application, and notify the 
                applicant of that determination; or
                    (B) submit written notice to the applicant 
                containing the reasons why a final determination has 
                not been made.
    (e) Reversionary Interest.--If, at any time after lands are 
conveyed pursuant to this section, the entity to whom the lands were 
conveyed attempts to transfer title to or control over the lands to 
another or the lands are devoted to a use other than the use for which 
the lands were conveyed, title to the lands shall revert to the United 
States.
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