[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 894 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 894

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide for clear title to 
           certain land in Louisiana, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 30, 2019

   Mr. Johnson of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide for clear title to 
           certain land in Louisiana, 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 ``Lake Bistineau Land Title Stability 
Act''.

SEC. 2. LAKE BISTINEAU LAND TITLE STABILITY.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Claimant.--The term ``claimant'' means any individual, 
        group, or corporation authorized to hold title to land or 
        mineral interests in land in the State of Louisiana with a 
        valid claim to the omitted land, including any mineral 
        interests.
            (2) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ``Lands 
        as Delineated by Original Survey December 18, 1842 showing the 
        1969 Meander Line at the 148.6 Elevation Line'' and dated 
        January 30, 2018.
            (3) Omitted land.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``omitted land'' means 
                the land in lots 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of sec. 
                30, T. 16 N., R. 10 W., Louisiana Meridian, comprising 
                a total of approximately 229.72 acres, as depicted on 
                the Map, that--
                            (i) was in place during the Original 
                        Survey; but
                            (ii) was not included in the Original 
                        Survey.
                    (B) Inclusion.--The term ``omitted land'' 
                includes--
                            (i) Peggy's Island in lot 1 of sec. 17, T. 
                        16 N., R. 10 W., Louisiana Meridian; and
                            (ii) Hog Island in lot 1 of sec. 29, T. 16 
                        N., R. 10 W., Louisiana Meridian.
            (4) Original survey.--The term ``Original Survey'' means 
        the survey of land surrounding Lake Bistineau, Louisiana, 
        conducted by the General Land Office in 1838 and approved by 
        the Surveyor General on December 8, 1842.
    (b) Conveyances.--
            (1) In general.--Consistent with the first section of the 
        Act of December 22, 1928 (commonly known as the ``Color of 
        Title Act'') (45 Stat. 1069, chapter 47; 43 U.S.C. 1068), 
        except as provided by this section, the Secretary shall convey 
        to the claimant the omitted land, including any mineral 
        interests, that has been held in good faith and in peaceful, 
        adverse possession by a claimant or an ancestor or grantor of 
        the claimant, under claim or color of title, based on the 
        Original Survey.
            (2) Confirmation of title.--The conveyance or patent of 
        omitted land to a claimant under paragraph (1) shall have the 
        effect of confirming title to the surface and minerals in the 
        claimant and shall not serve as any admission by a claimant.
    (c) Payment of Costs.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        conveyance required under subsection (b) shall be without 
        consideration.
            (2) Exception.--Before the conveyance of the omitted land 
        under subsection (b), from any funds appropriated to the State 
        of Louisiana by the Louisiana Legislature, the State of 
        Louisiana shall pay to the Secretary any costs incurred by the 
        Secretary relating to any survey, platting, legal description, 
        or associated activities required to prepare and issue a patent 
        under that subsection.
    (d) Map and Legal Description.--As soon as practicable after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall file, and make 
available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the 
Bureau of Land and Management, the Map and legal descriptions of the 
omitted land to be conveyed under subsection (b).
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