[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 162 (Tuesday, November 16, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H12005-H12006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RELEASING REVERSIONARY INTERESTS IN CERTAIN PROPERTY IN WASHINGTON 
                              COUNTY, UTAH

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2862) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to release 
reversionary interests held by the United States in certain parcels of 
land in Washington County, Utah, to facilitate an anticipated land 
exchange.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2862

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

     SECTION 1. RELEASE OF REVERSIONARY INTERESTS IN CERTAIN 
                   PROPERTY IN WASHINGTON COUNTY, UTAH.

       (a) Release Required.--The Secretary of the Interior shall 
     release, without consideration, the reversionary interests of 
     the United States in certain real property located in 
     Washington County, Utah, and depicted on the map entitled 
     ``Exchange Parcels, Gardner & State of Utah Property'', dated 
     April 21, 1999, to facilitate a land exchange to be conducted 
     by the State of Utah involving the property.
       (b) Instrument of Release.--The Secretary shall execute and 
     file in the appropriate office or offices a deed of release, 
     amended deed, or other appropriate instrument effectuating 
     the release of the reversionary interests required by this 
     section.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-
Barcelo) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen).
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2862, introduced by myself on September 14, 1999, 
would direct the Secretary of the Interior to release reversionary 
interests held by the United States in certain parcels of land in 
Washington County, Utah, to facilitate an anticipated land exchange.
  This legislation was introduced at the request of the Bureau of Land 
Management. The exchange at issue was designed to facilitate desert 
tortoise protection. The State of Utah wants to trade certain parcels 
of State land to some private parties.
  Unfortunately, because these parcels were originally received from 
the Bureau of Land Management pursuant to the Recreation and Public 
Purposes Act, they have a BLM reversionary clause clouding the title. 
If the State were to trade these parcels to a private party, the BLM 
could take title from the private party. This makes the land exchange 
unworkable unless Congress passes legislation releasing these 
reversionary interests.
  This bill would remove those revisionary clauses so that the State 
could pass clear title in the land exchange. The completion of the 
exchange would further the habitat conservation plan for the desert 
tortoise.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, and I urge my colleagues to support 
it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2862 would require the 
Secretary of the Interior to release reversionary interests held by the 
United States in certain parcels of land in Washington County, Utah, 
for the stated purpose of facilitating a land exchange.
  Evidently, the lands in question were granted to the State of Utah 
pursuant to the Recreation and Public Purposes Act for inclusion in 
Snow Canyon State Park. It is our understanding that the State now 
wishes to exchange this land with a private party in order to acquire 
other lands that will be used for desert tortoise habitat.
  However, under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, the State is 
precluded from making such an exchange because the State park land 
carries a clause reverting the lands back to the United States if it is 
used for other than a public purpose.
  H.R. 2862 is being brought to the floor without having ever been 
considered by the Committee on Resources, but we have been assured by 
the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) that this legislation is 
noncontroversial. Although we have no formal views from the 
administration and others on this, it does appear that there is no 
controversy associated with the proposal.
  That being the case, we will not object to the consideration of H.R. 
2862 by the House today.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 2862.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof), the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.

[[Page H12006]]

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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