[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 125 (Tuesday, October 10, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H9623-H9624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       EXTENDING AUTHORITY OF LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5083) to extend the authority of the Los Angeles Unified 
School District to use certain park lands in the city of South Gate, 
California, which were acquired with amounts provided from the land and 
water conservation fund, for elementary school purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5083

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) In 1988, the Los Angeles Board of Education voted to 
     close Tweedy Elementary School in the city of South Gate, 
     California, due to concerns about health risks at the site of 
     the school.
       (2) The school was temporarily relocated to South Gate Park 
     on park land that was originally acquired with amounts 
     provided by the Secretary of the Interior from the land and 
     water conservation fund.
       (3) In March 1991, the lease with the city that allowed the 
     Los Angeles Unified School District to operate the school on 
     park land expired, and no progress had been made in 
     constructing new facilities to relocate the school and its 
     students.
       (4) In 1992, Congress enacted Public Law 102-443 (106 Stat. 
     2244), which authorized an eight-year extension in the lease 
     for the use of the park land pending the construction of the 
     new school.
       (5) This eight-year extension is due to expire on October 
     23, 2000, and little progress has been made on the part of 
     the Los Angeles Unified School District to relocate Tweedy 
     Elementary School.
       (6) In addition to the long-delayed Tweedy Elementary 
     School relocation, recent studies have identified the need 
     for additional educational facilities in the city of South 
     Gate, including a new high school, junior high, and three 
     primary centers in the near future.
       (7) The lack of commitment, oversight, and accountability 
     in finding a new site for Tweedy Elementary School must be 
     corrected in any further lease extension, and a similar 
     situation also must be avoided in addressing the construction 
     of other education facilities in the City of South Gate.

     SEC. 2. CONTINUATION OF TEMPORARY USE OF PARK LANDS FOR 
                   ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PURPOSES, SOUTH GATE, 
                   CALIFORNIA.

       Notwithstanding section 6(f)(3) of the Land and Water 
     Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-8(f)(3)), the 
     city of South Gate, California, may extend until October 23, 
     2004, the lease between the city of South Gate and the Los 
     Angeles Unified School District, dated June 8, 1988, and 
     otherwise subject to expire on October 23, 2000, pursuant to 
     Public Law 102-443 (106 Stat. 2244), regarding the use of 
     approximately three acres of South Gate Park as the temporary 
     site for Tweedy Elementary School.

     SEC. 3. REPORT ON PROGRESS TO RELOCATE TWEEDY ELEMENTARY 
                   SCHOOL AND OTHER SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.

       (a) Periodic Reports Required.--As a condition on the 
     extension of the lease referred to in section 1 beyond 
     October 23, 2000, the President of the Board of Education for 
     the Los Angeles Unified School District shall require the 
     preparation of periodic reports describing--
       (1) the progress being made to relocate Tweedy Elementary 
     School from South Gate Park to a permanent location; and
       (2) the School District's construction plans for a new high 
     school, middle school, and 3 primary centers in the city of 
     South Gate, California.
       (b) Elements of Report.--Each report under subsection (a) 
     shall describe--
       (1) the progress being made in site selection and 
     acquisition, facility design, and construction; and
       (2) any factors hindering either the relocation of Tweedy 
     Elementary School or progress on the School District's other 
     construction plans for the city of South Gate.
       (c) Submission.--The reports required by subsection (a) 
     shall be submitted to the City Manager of the city of South 
     Gate, the Congress, the Los Angeles Board of Education, and 
     Padres Unidos Pro Nuevas Escuelas. The first report shall be 
     submitted not later than May 1, 2001, and subsequent reports 
     shall be submitted every six months thereafter during the 
     term of the extended lease.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. 
Faleomavaega) 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. 5083 extends the authority of the Los Angeles 
Unified School District to use certain park lands in the city of South 
Gate, California, for elementary school purposes.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5083 is a good piece of legislation that provides 
school children in South Gate, California, with temporary educational 
facilities. I commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-
Allard), my colleague, for her hard work in bringing this legislation 
to the floor. I apologize for keeping her for so long on the floor.
  In 1988, the Los Angeles Board of Education voted to close Tweedy 
Elementary School in the city of South Gate, California, due to 
concerns about health risks at the site of the school. The school was 
relocated to South Gate Park on park land that was originally acquired 
with amounts provided by the Secretary of the Interior from the Land 
and Water Conservation Fund.
  On October 23, 2000, the lease with the city that allowed the Los 
Angeles Unified School District to operate the school on park land will 
expire. Little progress has been made on the part of the Los Angeles 
Unified School District to relocate Tweedy Elementary School.
  H.R. 5083 would authorize the city of South Gate, California, to 
extend the lease between the city of South Gate and the Los Angeles 
Unified School District as the temporary site for the Tweedy Elementary 
School until October 23, 2004.
  As a condition of the extension of the lease, the president of the 
Board of Education for the Los Angeles Unified School District shall 
require the preparation of periodic reports describing the progress 
made to relocate Tweedy Elementary School from South Gate Park to a 
permanent location.
  It will also require the preparation of periodic reports describing 
the school district's construction plans for a new high school, middle 
school and three primary centers in the city of South Gate, California. 
These reports shall be submitted to the city manager of South Gate, to 
the Congress, and the Los Angeles Board of Education.
  This is a worthy cause that will provide the students in South Gate, 
California, with essential educational facilities. H.R. 5083 is simple 
legislation that resolves a very difficult problem for these students. 
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to thank the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Hansen), my good friend, for his management of these pieces 
of legislation. I want to also offer my apologies to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), our colleague, who has been so 
patient in wanting to get this bill that she has worked so hard in her 
efforts to provide legislation for, H.R. 5083.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard).

[[Page H9624]]

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from American 
Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) for yielding the time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman 
Young) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller), the ranking 
member of the Committee on Resources, and the gentleman from Utah 
(Chairman Hansen) and the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-
Barcelo), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Parks and 
Public Lands, for bringing H.R. 5083 to the floor.
  This legislation addresses an urgent need for hundreds of children 
who attend Tweedy Elementary School in my congressional district.
  As the gentleman from Utah (Chairman Hansen) mentioned, in 1988 the 
Los Angeles Board of Education closed Tweedy Elementary School in South 
Gate, California, due to health risks from environmental contamination 
at the school site.
  Consequently, the school was moved to South Gate Park located on 
Federal land, until a new school could be built.
  To enable Tweedy Elementary students to attend school in their 
community, Congress approved a lease, at fair market value, between the 
city of South Gate and the Los Angeles Unified School District.
  The current lease, as was mentioned, is going to expire this fall.
  Mr. Speaker, since L.A. Unified is still in the process of replacing 
Tweedy Elementary, this bill extends the current lease 4 years to allow 
L.A. Unified time to construct the new school.

                              {time}  2330

  As a condition of the extension, the bill requires a school district 
to provide progress reports twice a year to the City of South Gate, to 
Congress, and, most importantly, to the parents of Tweedy students.
  With no available alternative site, passage of this measure is 
essential to ensure that the children of Tweedy are not evicted and 
their education is not disrupted while LAUSD constructs a permanent 
replacement site.
  For the children of South Gate, I urge my colleagues to pass this 
critically needed legislation. I would like to thank the gentleman from 
Utah (Chairman Hansen) for his support of this very important measure.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5083, as introduced by the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) would extend for a period of 4 years a 
lease that allows the Los Angeles Unified School District to operate an 
elementary school on the park land in the City of South Gate, 
California that was acquired with monies from the Federal Land and 
Water Conservation Fund.
  Such an extension is necessary because the school district has thus 
far failed to relocate the elementary school to a permanent site. The 
elementary school was originally moved onto local park land in 1988 
because of concern with health risks associated with the former school 
site.
  In 1992, Public law 102-443 was enacted that allowed an 8-year 
extension of the lease of three acres of the local park for elementary 
school purposes. That lease extension is set to expire on October 23 of 
this year. Without that additional extension, the elementary school 
will be in a precarious situation.
  Mr. Speaker, it is, indeed, unfortunate that the Los Angeles Unified 
School District has thus far failed to provide a new permanent facility 
for the elementary school. We support the extension provided in the 
provisions of this bill. I urge my colleagues to support the provisions 
of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, if I may not detract too far from the pieces of 
legislation that the gentleman from Utah (Chairman Hansen) and I have 
tried earnestly to complete this evening, I really think I would be 
remiss if I did not share with my colleagues that, 2 days from now, 
that our colleagues will be going to the State of Minnesota to express 
our sense of condolences to the great gentleman, the Congressman from 
Minnesota, my good friend and former chairman of the Subcommittee on 
National Parks and Public Lands, the late Congressman Bruce Vento.
  If ever my colleagues in this Chamber, when we talk about national 
parks, when we talk about public lands, when we talk about scenic 
trails, when we talk about wildlife refuge, when we talk about historic 
preservation, historic sites, perhaps two words come out more starkly, 
very, very clear in my mind when we think of this great American, the 
son of Minnesota, Congressman Bruce Vento.
  When we talk about conservation and the environment, I think of the 
legacy that this gentleman has left us in this Chamber and the 
tremendous amount of energy and work that he has committed on behalf of 
our Nation.
  When we talk about conservation environment, there is also another 
gentleman I want to recognize, the unsung heroes. I say a lot of times 
that when we do things as Members that we do not give credit which is 
due. This is my good friend Rick Healy, who, for many years, served as 
staff director to Congressman Bruce Vento and doing such a fantastic, 
tremendous job in passing some 300 pieces of legislation during 
Congressman Vento's tenure as chairman of the Subcommittee on National 
Parks and Public Lands.
  I want to let him know that certainly this Member and certainly my 
colleagues in the Chamber want to express our sense of appreciation to 
Rick for the outstanding job that he has done with the national parks 
and public land issues.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I am glad to yield to the gentleman from Utah.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to associate myself with the 
remarks made by the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) 
concerning our late colleague, Bruce Vento. I also served with him for 
many years and was ranking member when he was chairman. We have lost a 
good friend and a very fine legislator.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his kind 
comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin). 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. 5083.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8, rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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