[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4313 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4313

To establish a procedure for resolving claims to certain rights-of-way.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 2016

 Mr. Cook (for himself, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Mr. Gosar, Mr. Stewart, and 
 Mr. Tipton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a procedure for resolving claims to certain rights-of-way.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE, FINDINGS, AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Historic Routes 
Preservation Act''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Act of July 26, 1866 (43 U.S.C. 932), provided for 
        an open-ended grant of ``the right of way for the construction 
        of highways over public lands, not reserved for public use.''.
            (2) The purpose of that Act was to encourage the opening, 
        expansion, settlement, use and development of the American 
        West. Rights-of-way established by use over land in the public 
        domain are not terminated or abandoned by subsequent Federal 
        grants of the property underlying the rights-of-way and Federal 
        attempts to reacquire the rights-of-way or reservation by the 
        Federal Government. Instead, all rights-of-way accepted before 
        October 21, 1976, continue as easements that can be used by the 
        public.
            (3) Unlike rights-of-way granted under FLPMA, the grant of 
        R.S. 2477 rights-of-way was complete on its face, and no 
        formalities, such as notice, entry, license, lease, 
        application, deed, patent, hearing, or formal public written or 
        oral acceptance were required to establish public rights-of-way 
        under R.S. 2477. That law simply required some limited degree 
        of construction activity on the land necessary or advisable to 
        enable passage over it or mere public usage for some undefined 
        amount of time.
            (4) When early R.S. 2477 right-of-way grants were made and 
        accepted, the United States had no laws or regulations 
        governing the establishment or use of roads and rights-of-way; 
        so the territories, then the States, provided early 
        interpretive guidance on the action the ``use'' or 
        ``construction activity''--necessary to accept and establish 
        the scope of those rights-of-way.
            (5) Some rights-of-way established under R.S. 2477 were 
        easily identified, including thoroughfares that connected 
        settlements, towns and trade centers, postal routes, routes for 
        inter-territory commerce, and the like. But the rights-of-way 
        for lesser known, or lesser used, rights-of-way (perhaps 
        established as single-person trails, horse trails, mining 
        trails, fur trade routes, wagon routes, and other similar or 
        lesser uses) have been more difficult to identify; and special 
        interest organizations, business and government have argued for 
        various interpretations regarding the establishment, acceptance 
        and scope of R.S. 2477 rights-of-way. Those disputes have often 
        resulted in unsuccessful settlement negotiations and expensive 
        time-consuming litigation to establish R.S. 2477 rights-of-way.
            (6) After decades of lawsuits, case-by-case negotiations, 
        law review articles, expert commentary, and various issued and 
        reissued government policies and procedures on point, there is 
        still no consistent definition or agreement regarding what 
        evidence or action is required to establish a R.S. 2477 right-
        of-way, whether State or Federal law governs R.S. 2477 grants, 
        and what the scope of R.S. 2477 rights-of-way are today. The 
        uncertainty may be due, in substantial part, to the fact that 
        rights created by past laws, such as R.S. 2477, are generally 
        interpreted according to the understanding of terminology at 
        the time of passage: The historic meaning of the statutory 
        language as determined with reference to the surrounding 
        environment and events of the day.
            (7) Although court decisions have provided much of the 
        guidance in quieting title to rights-of-way under R.S. 2477, 
        they have often incorporated differing State law to define the 
        acceptance and scope of R.S. 2477 rights-of-way, resulting in 
        inconsistent outcomes under similar facts. There is still 
        sentiment, apparent from comments by Federal parties in R.S. 
        2477 litigation, that interpretation and application of R.S. 
        2477 should be left exclusively to the Federal Government.
            (8) Apparently intending to bring some certainty to R.S. 
        2477 right-of-way claims, in 1988 Secretary of the Interior 
        Hodel established a Department of the Interior policy that 
        would verify R.S. 2477 rights-of-way and allow the Department 
        to record them in Department land records if--
                    (A) they were not reserved public lands at the time 
                they were put into public use;
                    (B) there was some minimal ``construction'' to 
                enable public passage, such as clearing vegetation or 
                removing obstructions; and
                    (C) the R.S. 2477 route was open to public use by 
                pedestrians, pack animal, wagons or motorized vehicles.
            (9) Nevertheless, the policy did not authorize the 
        Department of the Interior to adjudicate applications for R.S. 
        2477 rights-of-way.
            (10) A more restrictive approach evolved under Secretary of 
        the Interior Babbitt that, among other restrictions, 
        substantially limited motorized vehicle access to Federal lands 
        and required more than mere ``use'' to establish 
        ``construction'' necessary to accept a R.S. 2477 right-of-way 
        grant. Accordingly, the Federal Bureau of Land Management (the 
        BLM) was required to determine whether ``construction'' 
        equivalent to building road structures had occurred in those 
        instances where a R.S. 2477 right-of-way was claimed.
            (11) Apparently in response to Secretary Babbitt's strict 
        policy, Congress enacted a temporary moratorium, followed by 
        section 108 of the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
        1997, which states, in part, that ``No final rule or regulation 
        of any agency of the Federal Government pertaining to the 
        recognition, management, or validity of a right-of-way pursuant 
        to Revised Statute 2477 (43 U.S.C. 932) shall take effect 
        unless expressly authorized by an Act of Congress subsequent to 
        the date of enactment of this Act.''. That law has been 
        determined to be permanent.
            (12) Uncertainty leading to litigation and other expensive 
        forms of dispute resolution regarding public acceptance and 
        right to use R.S. 2477 rights-of-way has persisted for more 
        than 100 years. Although Congress in the early 1990s received a 
        report from the Department of the Interior suggesting a Federal 
        administrative process was necessary to formally recognize 
        validly accepted R.S. 2477 rights-of-way, that process has not 
        been implemented and there is limited, inconsistent action by 
        Federal administrative agencies and departments to determine 
        whether a R.S. 2477 grant has been accepted by the public, thus 
        indicating an apparent preference by the Federal Government to 
        have the courts decide R.S. 2477 claims.
            (13) It is in the best interest of the public and 
        government to establish consistent, clear and conclusive 
        direction to timely evaluate and officially recognize valid 
        R.S. 2477 claims, to provide a legislative framework for 
        objectively achieving those ends within clearly limited 
        timeframes and with minimal executive and administrative 
        involvement, and to minimize costs and delays typically 
        associated with litigating R.S. 2477 claims.
    (c) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to achieve judicial and 
administrative efficiency, and to reduce costs typically associated 
with resolving R.S. 2477 right-of-way claims by establishing a deadline 
for filing those claims, establishing mandatory procedures for 
considering and acting on those claims, and requiring Federal 
administrative action to finally resolve those claims.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
            (1) Abandon or abandonment.--The terms ``abandon'' and 
        ``abandonment'' mean normal action by the governing body of a 
        claimant taken at a public meeting pursuant to notice that 
        declares all right, title and claim to any right-of-way or 
        right-of-way grant under R.S. 2477 is relinquished.
            (2) Acceptance or accepted.--The terms ``acceptance'' and 
        ``accepted'' mean the construction and continuous public use 
        for passage over a R.S. 2477 right-of-way.
            (3) Authority or authorized officer.--The terms 
        ``Authority'' and ``Authorized Officer'' mean the Secretary's 
        designee in the Federal department, agency, enclave, 
        reservation or installation under the Secretary's jurisdiction.
            (4) Claim.--The term ``claim'' means the written document 
        required under section 3, in form established by the Secretary, 
        Authority or Authorized Officer, which shall be made available 
        for use by any claimant not later than 30 days after the 
        effective date of this Act.
            (5) Claimant.--The term ``claimant'' means any person, 
        including a State, State political subdivision, city, town, 
        county, government parish, company, or individual, asserting 
        the existence and public acceptance of a right-of-way under 
        R.S. 2477.
            (6) Construction.--The term ``construction'' means the 
        physical activity reasonably necessary, advisable or desirable 
        to allow continuous public use over a highway according to the 
        intended mode of travel or transportation. Maintenance 
        activities or the use of any tools or equipment may, but are 
        not required to, establish construction.
            (7) Continuous public use.--The term ``continuous public 
        use'' means the use by the public for passage as often as 
        generally regarded by the public to be convenient or necessary, 
        during any length of time, whether continuous, sporadic, 
        interrupted or discontinued, and as the character or location 
        of the use has changed from October, 1866, to October 21, 1976, 
        to meet the exigencies of increased travel in light of the 
        traditional passage uses.
            (8) Day.--The term ``day'' means 24-hour period immediately 
        following 12 o'clock midnight in the time zone where the 
        longest lineal part of the claimed R.S. 2477 right-of-way is 
        located, excluding official Federal holidays.
            (9) Evidence.--The term ``evidence'' means any item under 
        section 4 that would be reliable, authentic, probative and 
        persuasive in Federal District Court civil litigation under the 
        Federal Rules of Evidence that are operative on the effective 
        date of this Act.
            (10) FLPMA.--The term ``FLPMA'' means Federal Land Policy 
        and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
            (11) Highway.--The term ``highway'' means any road, way or 
        other land surface route of travel that the public has the 
        right of use for passage, whether by carriage, animal, foot, 
        non-motorized or motorized vehicle.
            (12) Public.--The term ``public'' means people, population, 
        or community as a whole.
            (13) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' means land 
        that is owned, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction of 
        the Federal Government for the benefit of the public and not 
        reserved at the time that the right-of-way was created.
            (14) R.S. 2477 right-of-way grant.--The term ``R.S. 2477 
        right-of-way grant'' means an open-ended grant or dedication of 
        land by the United States for rights-of-way allowing public use 
        and passage, which could be accepted by construction or 
        continuous public use before October 21, 1976.
            (15) R.S. 2477.--The term ``R.S. 2477'' means that part of 
        ``An Act Granting the Right-of-Way to Ditch and Canal Owners 
        Over the Public Lands and for Other Purposes,'' commonly called 
        the Mining Act of 1866 (the Act of July 26, 1866, ch. 262, 
        section 8, 14, statutes 251, 253; 43 U.S.C. 932), stating ``And 
        be it further enacted, that the right of way for the 
        construction of highways over public lands, not reserved for 
        public uses, is hereby granted,'' as that law continued in full 
        force and effect until October 21, 1976.
            (16) Relinquishment and disclaimer.--The terms 
        ``relinquishment'' and ``disclaimer'' mean any type of deed or 
        equivalent document in form suitable for recordation, approved 
        and issued by the Secretary, Authority, or Authorized Officer, 
        disclaiming and relinquishing the interest of the Federal 
        Government in a R.S. 2477 right-of-way that has been accepted 
        pursuant to the provisions of this Act, and which documents the 
        right of public passage over and within that right-of-way.
            (17) Reserve or reserved.--The terms ``reserve'' and 
        ``reserved''--
                    (A) mean action by the United States to withdraw 
                land from the public domain and make it unavailable for 
                appropriation under Federal public land laws, which 
                requires dedication of that land by the United States 
                to a particular public use, such as a park, forest, 
                military establishment, national monument, wilderness 
                area, Federal enclave, wildlife refuge, water diversion 
                or impoundment, or government power generation, and 
                such withdrawal, dedication, and use for the dedicated 
                purpose occurs before the earlier of the R.S. 2477 
                right-of-way acceptance or October 21, 1976; and
                    (B) do not include Wilderness Study Areas and Areas 
                of Critical Environmental Concern.
            (18) Scope.--The term ``scope'' means established public 
        use of the R.S. 2477 right-of-way as necessarily improved, 
        expanded, realigned or relocated before October 21, 1976, to 
        meet the public convenience, safety, or exigencies of increased 
        travel in light of its traditional right-of-way uses. 
        Permissible improvements, expansion, realignment or relocation 
        is determined according to the section 2(k) highway standards 
        of the State where the longest lineal part of the right-of-way 
        is located; or in the absence of such standards, ten feet on 
        each side of the survey center line, subject to reduction 
        according to the historic right-of-way width for the R.S. 2477 
        right-of-way traditional uses as of the date of acceptance, and 
        necessarily expanded according to the first sentence of this 
        paragraph.
            (19) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Federal department having management jurisdiction over 
        land owned or controlled by the United States upon which a R.S. 
        2477 right-of-way is claimed to be located.

SEC. 3. PROCEDURE.

    (a) Claim and Limitation of Action.--A claimant asserting public 
acceptance of a right-of-way granted pursuant to R.S. 2477 must file a 
claim, which shall include supporting evidence and proof of the notice 
and reasonably attempted notice under subsection (c), within the 25-
year period that shall commence to run on the next business day 
following the effective date of this Act.
    (b) Place of Filing.--
            (1) Generally.--Except as provided by paragraph (2), the 
        claim must be filed at the State or regional location as 
        designated by the Secretary.
            (2) Defense land.--If the land underlying the claimed R.S. 
        2477 right-of-way is subject to the ownership or control of the 
        United States Department of Defense, evidence supporting the 
        claim shall be filed with the commanding officer of the 
        military installation or office having ownership or control of 
        the underlying land, or at such other location as designated by 
        the Secretary.
    (c) Notice.--Claimant shall provide notice of the R.S. 2477 right-
of-way claim by publishing a general summary of the claim, including 
the location and general description of the claimed R.S. 2477 right-of-
way, in a newspaper authorized to publish public notice under the laws 
of the State where the longest lineal part of the claimed R.S. 2477 
right-of-way is located, once per week for the two consecutive weeks 
immediately preceding the filing of the claim. Within the four 
consecutive weeks immediately following the filing of the claim, 
claimant shall additionally provide, or reasonably attempt to provide, 
written notice of the claim to all record owners of land underlying the 
claimed R.S. 2477 right-of-way, except the Federal Government, and to 
all owners of land contiguous to each edge of that claimed right-of-
way. Claimant's reasonable attempt to provide such written notice is 
sufficient additional notice under this subsection if claimant verifies 
the reasonable attempt under claimant's written oath or affirmation to 
that effect filed with the Secretary where the claim is filed.
    (d) Abandonment.--Failure to comply with subsections (a), (b), and 
(c) is, on the first day following the time period in subsection (a), 
an automatic irrevocable abandonment of any R.S. 2477 right-of-way that 
has not been established by final judgment in a court of competent 
jurisdiction or final enforceable settlement agreement between claimant 
and the United States. The continuance authorized by section 6(b) shall 
not apply to this subsection.
    (e) Statue of Limitations.--Any statute of limitations for 
documenting the right-of-way after such reservation is hereby waived 
except as provided in subsection (a).

SEC. 4. EVIDENCE AND FINAL DECISION.

    (a) Burden of Proof.--Claimant shall establish acceptance by a 
preponderance of the evidence.
    (b) Presumptions.--
            (1) Acceptance conclusively and finally established.--
        Unless the land underlying the claimed R.S. 2477 right-of-way 
        was reserved before the earlier of construction of a trail, 
        path, or other throughway on the right-of-way, or October 21, 
        1976, acceptance (including continuous public use, location, 
        construction and scope of the R.S. 2477 right-of-way) shall be 
        conclusively verified, proven, and established upon filing, 
        under oath or affirmation by claimant attesting to its 
        authenticity and accuracy, of--
                    (A) at least one type of evidence related to that 
                right-of-way selected from subsection (c)(1); or
                    (B) at least one type of evidence selected from 
                each of two subparagraphs in subsection (c)(2) showing 
                scope and acceptance before October 21, 1976.
            (2) Copies and hearsay in documents.--Copies may be used as 
        evidence in place of original documents if they are accompanied 
        by a written declaration, under oath by a custodian, owner, or 
        author, that the copy is an accurate representation of the 
        original document's material terms. Hearsay contained in 
        documents, or otherwise, is regarded as reliable, admissible, 
        and probative for the purposes of this Act.
            (3) Grant withdrawal.--Evidence produced by the United 
        States that establishes the United States reserved the land 
        underlying the alleged R.S. 2477 right-of-way before its 
        acceptance conclusively establishes withdrawal of the Federal 
        grant for that right-of-way.
    (c) Categories of Evidence.--For the purposes of actions under this 
Act, the following rules apply to categories of evidence:
            (1)(A) A center line or other survey done by the Federal 
        Government or duly licensed land surveyor, applying generally 
        accepted survey standards and procedures or Federal Bureau of 
        Land Management Manual of Surveying Instructions applicable to 
        surveys before October 21, 1976, clearly showing the public 
        use, control, construction, location, direction, beginning and 
        end points, length, width and type of surface of the R.S. 2477 
        right-of-way as of a date certain.
            (B) Maps, plats, maintenance records including actual or 
        estimated costs, photographs, GIS or global positioning data, 
        or other computer-generated images showing the location of the 
        R.S. 2477 right-of-way, prepared, made, edited, kept, or relied 
        on, generally or on a case-by-case basis, by any Federal, 
        State, or local government, college, university, public or 
        private organization historically, customarily or regularly 
        engaged in the preparation, retention, analysis, or expert 
        interpretation of contemporary or historic maps.
            (C) Historical or other records of government entities, or 
        records constructed, obtained or kept by the government in the 
        ordinary course of business, including, without limitation, 
        Federal, State, local, and territorial records, such as records 
        of the United States Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, 
        or Defense, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Natural 
        Resources Conservation Service, Soil Conservation Service, 
        Government Land office, Federal Centers or Enclaves, the 
        Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress.
            (2)(A) Historical records, other than those included under 
        subsection (c)(3), including original documents, authenticated 
        copies, facsimiles, and computer-transmitted images reliably 
        showing evidence of construction (including tools used, if 
        any), location (including dimensions), fixtures and other 
        structures, or maintenance by a State or local government of 
        the R.S. 2477 right-of-way under consideration.
            (B) Written statements given under oath before a notary 
        public, court recorder, judge or any other government official 
        authorized by law to administer oaths, or otherwise 
        authenticated, reciting reliable knowledge of the facts that 
        establish the acceptance of the R.S. 2477 right-of-way under 
        consideration. If this category of evidence is used, written 
        statements by at least two persons shall be required.
            (C) A title opinion prepared by a duly licensed title 
        examiner prepared in accordance with generally accepted title 
        standards, establishing title, location and dimensions of the 
        R.S. 2477 right-of-way under consideration.
    (d) Determination of Abandonment.--Not later than 30 days after a 
R.S. 2477 right-of-way is conclusively established as accepted pursuant 
to this section, the Secretary, Authority, or Authorized Officer shall 
determine, in writing, whether that right-of-way has been previously 
abandoned by claimant. Failure to make such written determination 
within that 30-day period shall conclusively establish the right-of-way 
has not been abandoned. That determination by the Secretary, Authority 
or Authorized Officer, or the failure to make that determination, 
within the time specified by this subsection shall be a final agency 
action, subject to appeal as provided and limited by section 5.
    (e) Disclaimer and Relinquishment Required.--Subject to subsection 
(d), not later than 60 days after the evidence to establish a R.S. 2477 
right-of-way has been filed pursuant to this section, the Secretary, 
Authority, or Authorized Officer shall deliver or cause to be delivered 
to claimant a written document disclaiming and relinquishing the United 
States right and interest in the R.S. 2477 right-of-way, which document 
and actions under this Act shall only be subject to review as provided 
and limited by section, and shall not be subject to quiet title 
proceedings under section or otherwise, or subject to any other 
judicial or administrative de novo, or on the record, reviews, claims, 
actions or proceedings. The disclaimer and relinquishment shall 
immediately be recorded in the public land records under the 
jurisdiction of the Secretary, and shall conclusively establish the 
public right to use the R.S. 2477 right-of-way. The disclaimer and 
relinquishment shall be in form to allow recording in State and local 
real estate records.
    (f) Federal Register Notice of Final Agency Action.--Notice of the 
action under subsection (e) shall be published once in the Federal 
Register not later than 30 days after the delivery occurs as specified 
by that subsection.
    (g) Requirement to Timely Record Centerline Survey.--A centerline 
survey of the R.S. 2477 right-of-way disclaimed and relinquished by the 
United States pursuant to this Act shall be completed and filed by 
claimant with the Secretary, Authority, or Authorized Officer not later 
than 10 years after the time specified by section 3(a).
    (h) Abandonment.--Failure by claimant to complete and file a 
centerline survey as required by subsection (g) shall be an abandonment 
of any and all rights to the R.S. 2477 right-of-way for which the 
relinquishment was issued.

SEC. 5. JUDICIAL REVIEW.

    (a) Jurisdiction.--Subject to section 4(e), any case or controversy 
arising under this Act shall be filed in the United States District 
Court located in the District within which the longest lineal segment 
of the claimed R.S. 2477 right-of-way is located, which Federal Court 
shall have exclusive jurisdiction to decide the case or controversy on 
the record regarding the claimed R.S. 2477 right-of-way, subject only 
to appeal or review on the record under Federal appellate court 
jurisdiction.
    (b) Limitation of Action.--Cases shall be filed in the court 
specified by subsection (a) not later than 30 days after the 
publication specified by subsection 4(f).
    (c) Prior Adjudication Unaffected.--A final settlement, or final 
judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction before the effective 
date of this Act, where the United States was a party in determining 
rights to a R.S. 2477 right-of-way shall not be affected by this Act.
    (d) Actions To Quiet Title Unaffected.--Subject to the provisions 
of this section and section 4, including the expiration of time periods 
specified therein, this Act shall apply to prohibit Federal court 
actions to quiet R.S. 2477 titles that involve R.S. 2477 claims 
previously filed under this Act, where a disclaimer and relinquishment 
are pending or have been issued. Any quiet title action not prohibited 
by this paragraph must be filed on or before the date specified by 
section 3(a).

SEC. 6. APPLICABLE LAW AND TIME EXTENSIONS.

    (a) Application of State and Federal Law.--This Act shall apply to 
conclusively establish the acceptance, scope, validity, or abandonment 
of a R.S. 2477 right-of-way. From and after the date of enactment, the 
provisions of this Act will be supreme, preempt and control any 
inconsistency or conflict between provisions of this Act and State law 
in determining the acceptance, scope, validity and abandonment of a 
R.S. 2477 right-of-way.
    (b) Deadlines.--Any deadline established by this Act shall be 
extended one time, for a maximum of 365 days, for good cause stated in 
writing signed by claimant under oath or affirmation and delivered to 
the Secretary, Authority or Authorized Officer not less than 30 days 
before the deadline to be continued.

SEC. 7. IMPLEMENTATION REQUIRED.

    Subject to section 2(d), not later than 90 days after the effective 
date of this Act, the Secretary, Authority and Authorized Officer shall 
have completed all policies, procedures, delegations, forms and any 
other action necessary to implement the provisions of this Act and 
begin processing claims immediately thereafter. The duties and 
obligations of, or failure to perform by, the Secretary, Authority, and 
Authorized Officer within the scope of this section, are enforceable by 
injunction, restraining order and may result in official and personal 
civil liability all pursuant to action in any Federal District Court.

SEC. 8. FEDERAL LAND POLICY AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1976 AND ALASKA 
              NATIONAL INTEREST LANDS CONSERVATION ACT.

    Nothing in this Act is intended, or shall be construed, to affect, 
change, alter, or modify title V of FLPMA or title XI of the Alaska 
National Interest Lands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3161 et seq.).

SEC. 9. RULES AND REGULATIONS.

    Any final rule or regulation of any agency of the Federal 
Government pertaining to the recognition, management, or validity of a 
rights-of-way pursuant to R.S. 2477 may take effect without further 
express authorization by an Act of Congress subsequent to the date of 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 10. EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN LANDS.

    Nothing in this Act shall apply to or effect use of land by the 
Department of Defense or lands the use of which is shared with the 
Department of Defense.

SEC. 11. REPEAL OF RESTRICTIONS ON REGULATIONS.

    Section 108 of the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997 
(110 Stat. 3009-200), related to Revised Statute 2477, is hereby 
repealed.
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