[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 121 (Tuesday, October 3, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S9746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DOMENICI:
  S. 3153. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Air force to convey 
certain excess personal property of the Air force to Roosevelt General 
Hospital, Portales, New Mexico; to the Committee on Armed Services.


    Conveyance of Air Force Property to Roosevelt General Hospital, 
                          Portales, New Mexico

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation of 
importance to military members serving at Cannon Air Force Base and the 
community serving that Air Force Base. This bill would allow the 
Secretary of the Air Force to convey hospital equipment from a closed 
hospital facility at Cannon to a new public hospital in Portales, New 
Mexico.
  This is another win-win possibility for the local Air Force personnel 
and the surrounding community. The hospital at Cannon Air Force Base 
was closed several years ago. However, the equipment remains at that 
facility and has been collecting dust since the facility's closure.
  A new, state-of-the-art hospital is now being built to serve 
Roosevelt County citizens. While the County has taken tremendous 
strides towards establishing a first-rate hospital, excess equipment 
from the Air Force Base would help ameliorate immediate costs of fully 
equipping the new hospital. In addition, service members and their 
families who reside in Portales will certainly make use of the new 
hospital facility in their area.
  The Wing Commander and Medical Commander at Cannon Air Force Base 
agree that this is a beneficial arrangement. They have met with local 
community leaders and civilian hospital administrators to carefully 
review what equipment from the closed Air Force facility should be 
transferred to the new community hospital. Everyone agrees that this is 
a positive action to strengthen relations and provide better medical 
care for both civilian and military community members.
  Mr. President, the Air Force is striving to explore novel, beneficial 
arrangements with local civilian communities to provide medical care 
for its personnel. This bill, which is entirely discretionary, but 
would expedite the process, is an easy, common sense approach to 
achieving that goal. I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 3153

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

     SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF AIR FORCE PROPERTY TO ROOSEVELT 
                   GENERAL HOSPITAL, PORTALES, NEW MEXICO.

       (a) Authority.--The Secretary of the Air Force is 
     authorized to convey to the Roosevelt General Hospital, 
     Portales, New Mexico, without consideration, and without 
     regard to title II of the Federal Property and Administrative 
     Services Act of 1949, all right, title, and interest of the 
     United States in any personal property of the Air Force that 
     the Secretary determines--
       (1) is appropriate for use by the Roosevelt General 
     Hospital in the operation of that hospital; and
       (2) is excess to the needs of the Air Force.
       (b) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may 
     require any additional terms and conditions in connection 
     with any conveyance under subsection (a) that the Secretary 
     considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United 
     States.
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