[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 132 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S10838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        EDUCATION LAND GRANT ACT

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask the Chair lay before the Senate a 
message from the House of Representatives on the bill H.R. 150.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the House of Representatives:

       Resolved, That the House agree to the amendment of the 
     Senate to the bill (H.R. 150) entitled ``An Act to authorize 
     the Secretary of Agriculture to convey National Forest System 
     lands for use for educational purposes, and for other 
     purposes'', with the following House amendment to Senate 
     amendment:
       In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the 
     amendment of the Senate, insert the following:

     SECTION. 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Education Land Grant Act''.

     SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS FOR 
                   EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.

       (a) Authority To Convey.--Upon application, the Secretary 
     of Agriculture may convey National Forest System lands for 
     use for educational purposes if the Secretary determines 
     that--
       (1) the entity seeking the conveyance will use the conveyed 
     land for a public or publicly funded elementary or secondary 
     school, to provide grounds or facilities related to such a 
     school, or for both purposes;
       (2) the conveyance will serve the public interest;
       (3) the land to be conveyed is not otherwise needed for the 
     purposes of the National Forest System; and
       (4) the total acreage to be conveyed does not exceed the 
     amount reasonably necessary for the proposed use.
       (b) Acreage Limitation.--A conveyance under this section 
     may not exceed 80 acres. However, this limitation shall not 
     be construed to preclude an entity from submitting a 
     subsequent application under this section for an additional 
     land conveyance if the entity can demonstrate to the 
     Secretary a need for additional land.
       (c) Costs and Mineral Rights.--A conveyance under this 
     section shall be for a nominal cost. The conveyance may not 
     include the transfer of mineral rights.
       (d) Review of Applications.--When the Secretary receives an 
     application under this section, the Secretary shall--
       (1) before the end of the 14-day period beginning on the 
     date of the receipt of the application, provide notice of 
     that receipt to the applicant; and
       (2) before the end of the 120-day period beginning on that 
     date--
       (A) make a final determination whether or not to convey 
     land pursuant to the application, and notify the applicant of 
     that determination; or
       (B) submit written notice to the applicant containing the 
     reasons why a final determination has not been made.
       (e) Reversionary Interest.--If at any time after lands are 
     conveyed pursuant to this section, the entity to whom the 
     lands were conveyed attempts to transfer title to or control 
     over the lands to another or the lands are devoted to a use 
     other than the use for which the lands were conveyed, without 
     the consent of the Secretary, title to the lands shall revert 
     to the United States.


                           Amendment No. 4329

  Mr. SESSIONS. I ask unanimous consent the Senate concur in the 
amendment of the House, with further amendment which is at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the amendment.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Alabama [Mr. Sessions], for Mr. Murkowski, 
     proposes an amendment numbered 4329.

  (The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under 
``Amendments Submitted.'')
  The amendment (No. 4329) was agreed to.

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