[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3595 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3595

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the Nevada System 
   of Higher Education certain Federal land located in Clark and Nye 
               counties, Nevada, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 25 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

 Mr. Reid (for himself and Mr. Ensign) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the Nevada System 
   of Higher Education certain Federal land located in Clark and Nye 
               counties, Nevada, 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 ``Southern Nevada Higher Education 
Land Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) southern Nevada is 1 of the fastest growing regions in 
        the United States, with 750,000 new residents added since 2000 
        and 250,000 residents expected to be added by 2010;
            (2) the Nevada System of Higher Education serves more than 
        70,000 undergraduate and graduate students in southern Nevada, 
        with enrollment in the System expected to grow by 21 percent 
        during the next 10 years, which would bring enrollment to a 
        total of 85,000 students in the System;
            (3) the Nevada System of Higher Education campuses in 
        southern Nevada comprise 1,200 acres, 1 of the smallest land 
        bases of any major higher education system in the western 
        United States;
            (4) the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with 28,500 
        students and 3,300 faculty and staff, is the fourth fastest-
        growing research university in the United States;
            (5) the College of Southern Nevada--
                    (A) serves 39,000 students each semester; and
                    (B) is near capacity at each of the 3 urban 
                campuses of the College;
            (6) Pahrump, located in rural Nye County, Nevada--
                    (A) has grown by 20 percent since 2000; and
                    (B) has a small satellite campus of Great Basin 
                College to serve the 40,500 residents of Pahrump, 
                Nevada; and
            (7) the Nevada System of Higher Education needs additional 
        land to provide for the future growth of the System, 
        particularly for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the 
        College of Southern Nevada, and the Pahrump campus of Great 
        Basin College.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to provide additional land for a thriving higher 
        education system that serves the residents of fast-growing 
        southern Nevada;
            (2) to provide residents of the State with greater 
        opportunities to pursue higher education and the resulting 
        benefits, which include increased earnings, more employment 
        opportunities, and better health; and
            (3) to provide communities in southern Nevada the economic 
        and societal values of higher education, including economic 
        growth, lower crime rates, greater civic participation, and 
        less reliance on social services.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Board of regents.--The term ``Board of Regents'' means 
        the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
            (2) Campuses.--The term ``Campuses'' means the Great Basin 
        College, College of Southern Nevada, and University of Las 
        Vegas, Nevada, campuses.
            (3) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means each of 
        the 3 parcels of Bureau of Land Management land identified on 
        the maps as ``Parcel to be Conveyed'', of which--
                    (A) approximately 40 acres is to be conveyed for 
                the College of Southern Nevada;
                    (B) approximately 2,085 acres is to be conveyed for 
                the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and
                    (C) approximately 285 acres is to be conveyed for 
                the Great Basin College.
            (4) Map.--The term ``Map'' means each of the 3 maps 
        entitled ``Southern Nevada Higher Education Land Act'', dated 
        July 11, 2008, and on file and available for public inspection 
        in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land Management.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Nevada.
            (7) System.--The term ``System'' means the Nevada System of 
        Higher Education.

SEC. 4. CONVEYANCES OF FEDERAL LAND TO THE SYSTEM.

    (a) Conveyances.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding section 202 of the Federal 
        Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712) and 
        section 1(c) of the Act of June 14, 1926 (commonly known as the 
        ``Recreation and Public Purposes Act'') (43 U.S.C. 869(c)) and 
        subject to all valid existing rights, the Secretary shall--
                    (A) not later than 180 days after the date of 
                enactment of this Act, convey to the System, without 
                consideration, all right, title, and interest of the 
                United States in and to the Federal land for the Great 
                Basin College and the College of Southern Nevada; and
                    (B) not later than 180 days after the receipt of 
                certification of acceptable remediation of 
                environmental conditions existing on the parcel to be 
                conveyed for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 
                convey to the System, without consideration, all right, 
                title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
                Federal land for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
            (2) Phases.--The Secretary may phase the conveyance of the 
        Federal land under paragraph (1)(B) as remediation is 
        completed.
    (b) Conditions.--
            (1) In general.--As a condition of the conveyance under 
        subsection (a)(1), the Board of Regents shall agree in 
        writing--
                    (A) to pay any administrative costs associated with 
                the conveyance, including the costs of any 
                environmental, wildlife, cultural, or historical 
                resources studies;
                    (B) to use the Federal land conveyed for 
                educational and recreational purposes;
                    (C) to release and indemnify the United States from 
                any claims or liabilities that may arise from uses 
                carried out on the Federal land on or before the date 
                of enactment of this Act by the United States or any 
                person;
                    (D) as soon as practicable after the date of the 
                conveyance under subsection (a)(1), to erect at each of 
                the Campuses an appropriate and centrally located 
                monument that acknowledges the conveyance of the 
                Federal land by the United States for the purpose of 
                furthering the higher education of the citizens in the 
                State; and
                    (E) to assist the Bureau of Land Management in 
                providing information to the students of the System and 
                the citizens of the State on--
                            (i) public land (including the management 
                        of public land) in the Nation; and
                            (ii) the role of the Bureau of Land 
                        Management in managing, preserving, and 
                        protecting the public land in the State.
            (2) Agreement with nellis air force base.--As a condition 
        of the conveyance of the Federal land for the University of 
        Nevada, Las Vegas under subsection (a)(1)(B), the Board of 
        Regents shall enter into a cooperative interlocal agreement 
        with Nellis Air Force Base that is consistent with the missions 
        of the System and the United States Air Force.
    (c) Use of Federal Land.--
            (1) In general.--The System may use the Federal land 
        conveyed under subsection (a)(1) for--
                    (A) any purpose relating to the establishment, 
                operation, growth, and maintenance of the System; and
                    (B) any uses relating to the purposes, including 
                residential and commercial development that would 
                generally be associated with an institution of higher 
                education.
            (2) Other entities.--The System may--
                    (A) consistent with Federal and State law, lease, 
                or otherwise provide property or space at, the 
                Campuses, with or without consideration, to religious, 
                public interest, community, or other groups for 
                services and events that are of interest to the System 
                or to any community located in southern Nevada;
                    (B) allow any other communities in southern Nevada 
                to use facilities of the Campuses for educational and 
                recreational programs of the community; and
                    (C) in conjunction with the city of Las Vegas, 
                North Las Vegas, or Pahrump or Clark or Nye County 
                plan, finance (including through the provision of cost-
                share assistance), construct, and operate facilities 
                for the city of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, or Pahrump 
                or Clark or Nye County on the Federal land conveyed for 
                educational or recreational purposes consistent with 
                this section.
    (d) Reversion.--
            (1) In general.--If the Federal land or any portion of the 
        Federal land conveyed under subsection (a)(1) ceases to be used 
        for the System, the Federal land, or any portion of the Federal 
        land shall, at the discretion of the Secretary, revert to the 
        United States.
            (2) University of nevada, las vegas.--If the System fails 
        to complete the first building or show progression toward 
        development of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus on 
        the applicable parcels of Federal land by the date that is 50 
        years after the date of receipt of certification of acceptable 
        remediation of environmental conditions, the parcels of the 
        Federal land described in section 3(3)(B) shall, at the 
        discretion of the Secretary, revert to the United States.
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