[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3855 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3855

  To raise funds necessary to respond to Hurricane Katrina and future 
disasters by selling a portion of the lands administered by the Forest 
  Service and the Department of the Interior, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 21, 2005

Mr. Tancredo (for himself, Mr. Flake, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mrs. Cubin, Mr. 
 Weldon of Florida, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Feeney, Mr. Akin, Mrs. Myrick, Mr. 
   Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Poe, Mr. Bishop of Utah, and Mr. Otter) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
    Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture and 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 raise funds necessary to respond to Hurricane Katrina and future 
disasters by selling a portion of the lands administered by the Forest 
  Service and the Department of the Interior, 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. SALE OF NATIONAL FOREST AND DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LANDS 
              TO RAISE FUNDS FOR DISASTER RELIEF.

    (a) Sale of National Forest Lands.--The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall select 15 percent of the lands included in the National Forest 
System (as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland 
Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a))) and 
convey all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to 
the selected lands by public sale.
    (b) Sale of Department of the Interior Lands.--The Secretary of the 
Interior shall identify 15 percent of the lands managed by agencies of 
the Department of the Interior (excluding lands in units of the 
National Park System established by Act of Congress and lands held for 
the benefit of an Indian tribe) and convey all right, title, and 
interest of the United States in and to the identified lands by public 
sale.
    (c) Priority Locations.--The Secretary of Agriculture and the 
Secretary of the Interior shall place an emphasis on identifying lands 
for sale under this section in those States where the United States 
owns more than 15 percent of the total land area.
    (d) Commencement of Sales.--The Secretary of Agriculture and the 
Secretary of the Interior shall complete the identification of Federal 
lands under this section and commence the sale of such lands not later 
than October 1, 2006. The land sales shall proceed without regard to 
any other provision of law.
    (e) Treatment of Proceeds.--All proceeds from the sale of Federal 
lands under this section (other than amounts retained to cover the 
administrative costs incurred solely to conduct the sales) shall be 
deposited in the special account established under subsection (f).
    (f) Disaster Response and Relief Fund.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury a 
        special account to be known as the ``Disaster Response and 
        Relief Fund''.
            (2) Investment.--Pending the need to use the special 
        account for the purposes specified in subsection (g), the 
        Secretary of the Treasury shall manage amounts in the special 
        account to maximize the return to the United States. Interest 
        on investments shall also be deposited in the special account.
    (g) Use of Fund for Disaster Relief.--Amounts in the special 
account shall be available only for appropriation to cover or defray 
the costs of responding to a natural disaster or terrorist attack in an 
area covered by a disaster declaration made by the President under the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
    (h) Moratorium on Federal Land Acquisition.--Until the Secretary of 
Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior comply with the duties 
imposed on the Secretaries by this section, an interest in land may not 
be acquired by the Forest Service or an agency of the Department of the 
Interior unless the acquisition of that land is specifically authorized 
by an Act of Congress enacted after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
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