[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 271 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 271

   To convey certain submerged lands to the Government of the Virgin 
                    Islands, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 2005

 Mrs. Christensen introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                       the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To convey certain submerged lands to the Government of the Virgin 
                    Islands, 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. CONVEYANCE OF SUBMERGED LANDS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE 
              VIRGIN ISLANDS.

    (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights, all of the 
right, title, and interest of the United States in and to submerged 
lands in the area between the island of Saint Croix and the islands of 
Saint Thomas and Saint John is conveyed to the Government of the Virgin 
Islands to be administered in trust for the benefit of the people 
thereof.
    (b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Area between the island of saint croix and the islands 
        of saint thomas and saint john.--The term ``area between the 
        island of Saint Croix and the islands of Saint Thomas and Saint 
        John'' means the area that is--
                    (A) outside of the area conveyed to the Virgin 
                Islands by section 1 of Public Law 93-435 (48 U.S.C. 
                1705);
                    (B) north of Saint Croix;
                    (C) south of Saint Thomas and Saint John;
                    (D) east of the line running from the westernmost 
                point on the coastline of Saint Croix at mean high tide 
                to the westernmost point on the coastline of Saint 
                Thomas at mean high tide; and
                    (E) west of the line running from the easternmost 
                point on the coastline of Saint Croix at mean high tide 
                to the easternmost point on the coastline of Saint John 
                at mean high tide.
            (2) Saint croix, saint thomas, saint john.--The terms 
        ``Saint Croix'', ``Saint Thomas'', and ``Saint John'' mean the 
        islands of Saint Croix, Saint Thomas, and Saint John, 
        respectively, in the United States Virgin Islands.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TERRITORIAL WATERS OF THE VIRGIN WATERS.

    For purposes of the laws of the United States, and except as 
otherwise provided by international law or any international agreement 
in force for the United States, the territorial waters of the United 
States Virgin Islands shall consist of all waters in the belt of the 
seas measured from the line of ordinary low water along that portion of 
the coast which is in direct contact with the open sea and the line 
marking the seaward limit of inland waters, and extending seaward a 
distance of 9 miles.
                                 <all>