[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 110 (Thursday, August 6, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H7401-H7402]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CANADIAN RIVER PROJECT PREPAYMENT ACT

  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Resources be discharged from further consideration of the 
bill (H.R. 3687) to authorize prepayment of amounts due under a water 
reclamation project contract for the Canadian River Project, Texas, and 
ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I do not 
intend to object, I yield to the gentleman from Texas for a brief 
explanation of the bill if he would be so kind.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3687 by myself authorizes prepayment of amounts due 
under a water reclamation project contract for the Canadian River 
Project in Texas and is cosponsored by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Stenholm) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest).
  Mr. Speaker, I would first like to recognize Mr. Stenholm and Mr. 
Combest, cosponsors of this bill, for all their work in bringing this 
bill to the floor and in this matter generally over the past two years.
  This bill does not authorize transfer of the title to any Government 
property. It is strictly a bill to authorize prepayment of a debt. 
Title transfer is already authorized by the original Project 
authorization act and by the repayment contract to take place 
automatically when the debt is paid.
  H.R. 3687 has the support of all the affected or involved parties. 
There is bipartisan support for the bill and the Bureau of Reclamation 
representatives have stated that the bill has their support.
  Passage of H.R. 3687 is badly needed during the current session of 
Congress. Further delay will cause the eleven cities which are members 
of CRMWA to suffer unnecessary hardship, especially if the current 
drought in Texas were to continue into next year. H.R. 3687 and the 
subsequent title transfer will clear the way for CRMWA to provide 
additional supplies which will prevent water shortages.
  Over five hundred thousand people rely on water from the Canadian 
River Municipal Water Authority. This legislation will ensure that they 
have access to a safe, clean and abundant supply of water. I urge your 
support for this important legislation.
  Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                               H.R. 3687

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

     SECTION 1. PREPAYMENT OF CONTRACT FOR CANADIAN RIVER PROJECT, 
                   TEXAS.

       (a) Prepayment Authorized.--Prepayment of the amount due 
     under Bureau of Reclamation contract number 14-06-500-485 for 
     the Canadian River Project, Texas, may be made by tender of 
     an appropriate discounted present value amount, as determined 
     by the Secretary of the Interior.
       (b) Conveyance.--Upon payment of the amount determined by 
     the Secretary of the Interior under subsection (a), the 
     Secretary shall convey to the Canadian River Municipal Water 
     Authority all right, title, and interest of the United States 
     in and to the project pipeline and related facilities 
     authorized by Public Law 81-898 and Bureau of Reclamation 
     contract number 14-06-500-485, including the headquarters 
     facilities of the Authority.


   Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute Offered by Mr. Thornberry

  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Mr. 
     Thornberry: Strike out all after the enacting clause and 
     insert:

                               H.R. 3687

       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 ``Canadian River Project 
     Prepayment Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       For the purposes of this Act:
       (1) The term ``Authority'' means the Canadian River 
     Municipal Water Authority, a conservation and reclamation 
     district of the State of Texas.
       (2) The term ``Canadian River Project Authorization Act'' 
     means the Act entitled ``An Act to authorize the 
     construction, operation, and maintenance by the Secretary of 
     the Interior of the Canadian River reclamation project, 
     Texas'', approved December 29, 1950 (chapter 1183; 64 Stat. 
     1124).
       (3) The term ``Project'' means all of the right, title and 
     interest in and to all land and improvements comprising the 
     pipeline and related facilities of the Canadian River Project 
     authorized by the Canadian River Project Authorization Act.
       (4) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
     Interior.

     SEC. 3. PREPAYMENT AND CONVEYANCE OF PROJECT.

       (a) In General.--(1) In consideration of the Authority 
     accepting the obligation of the Federal Government for the 
     Project and subject to the payment by the Authority of the 
     applicable amount under paragraph (2) within the 360-day 
     period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, 
     the Secretary shall convey the Project to the Authority, as 
     provided in section 2(c)(3) of the Canadian River Project 
     Authorization Act (64 Stat. 1124).
       (2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the applicable amount 
     shall be--
       (A) $34,806,731, if payment is made by the Authority within 
     the 270-day period beginning on the date of enactment of this 
     Act; or
       (B) the amount specified in subparagraph (A) adjusted to 
     include interest on that amount since the date of the 
     enactment of this Act at the appropriate Treasury bill rate 
     for an equivalent term, if payment is made by the Authority 
     after the period referred to in subparagraph (A).
       (3) If payment under paragraph (1) is not made by the 
     Authority within the period specified in paragraph (1), this 
     Act shall have no force or effect.
       (b) Financing.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
     affect the right of the Authority to use a particular type of 
     financing.

[[Page H7402]]

     SEC. 4. RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING OPERATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed as 
     significantly expanding or otherwise changing the use or 
     operation of the Project from its current use and operation.
       (b) Future Alterations.--If the Authority alters the 
     operations or uses of the Project it shall comply with all 
     applicable laws or regulations governing such alteration at 
     that time.
       (c) Recreation.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting 
     through the National Park Service, shall continue to operate 
     the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area at Lake Meredith.
       (d) Flood Control.--The Secretary of the Army, acting 
     through the Corps of Engineers, shall continue to prescribe 
     regulations for the use of storage allocated to flood control 
     at Lake Meredith as prescribed in the Letter of Understanding 
     entered into between the Corps, the Bureau of Reclamation, 
     and the Authority in March and May 1980.
       (e) Sanford Dam Property.--The Authority shall have the 
     right to occupy and use without payment of lease or rental 
     charges or license or use fees the property retained by the 
     Bureau of Reclamation at Sanford Dam and all buildings 
     constructed by the United States thereon for use as the 
     Authority's headquarters and maintenance facility. Buildings 
     constructed by the Authority on such property, or past and 
     future additions to Government constructed buildings, shall 
     be allowed to remain on the property. The Authority shall 
     operate and maintain such property and facilities without 
     cost to the United States.

     SEC. 5. RELATIONSHIP TO CERTAIN CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS.

       (a) Payment Obligations Extinguished.--Provision of 
     consideration by the Authority in accordance with section 
     3(b) shall extinguish all payment obligations under contract 
     numbered 14-06-500-485 between the Authority and the 
     Secretary.
       (b) Operation and Maintenance Costs.--After completion of 
     the conveyance provided for in section 3, the Authority shall 
     have full responsibility for the cost of operation and 
     maintenance of Sanford Dam, and shall continue to have full 
     responsibility for operation and maintenance of the Project 
     pipeline and related facilities.
       (c) General.--Rights and obligations under the existing 
     contract No. 14-06-500-485 between the Authority and the 
     United States, other than provisions regarding repayment of 
     construction charge obligation by the Authority and 
     provisions relating to the Project aqueduct, shall remain in 
     full force and effect for the remaining term of the contract.

     SEC. 6. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.

       Upon conveyance of the Project under this Act, the 
     Reclamation Act of 1902 (82 Stat. 388) and all Acts 
     amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto shall not apply to 
     the Project.

     SEC. 7. LIABILITY.

       Except as otherwise provided by law, effective on the date 
     of conveyance of the Project under this Act, the United 
     States shall not be liable under any law for damages of any 
     kind arising out of any act, omission, or occurrence relating 
     to the conveyed property.

  Mr. THORNBERRY (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the amendment in the nature of a substitute be considered 
as read and printed in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Thornberry).
  The amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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