[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 166 (Monday, November 17, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H11181-H11182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CORRECTING TECHNICAL ERROR FROM UNIT OF JOHN H. CHAFEE COASTAL BARRIER
RESOURCES SYSTEM
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
Senate bill (S. 1066) to correct a technical error from Unit T-07 of
the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 1066
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REPLACEMENT OF JOHN H. CHAFEE COASTAL BARRIER
RESOURCES SYSTEM MAP.
(a) In General.--The map described in subsection (b) is
replaced by the map entitled ``John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier
Resources System Matagorda Peninsula Unit T07/T07P'' and
dated July 12, 2002.
(b) Description of Replaced Map.--The map referred to in
subsection (a) is the map relating to the John H. Chafee
Coastal Barrier System unit designated as Coastal Barrier
Resources System Matagorda Peninsula Unit T07/T07P that is
subtitled ``T07/T07P'' and included in the set of maps
entitled ``Coastal Barrier Resources System'' and referred to
in section 4(a) of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16
U.S.C. 3503(a)).
(c) Availability.--The Secretary of the Interior shall keep
the replacement map referred to in subsection (a) on file and
available for inspection in accordance with section 4(b) of
the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3503(b)).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs.
Napolitano) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
General Leave
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include
[[Page H11182]]
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 1066 introduced by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison will
remove 19 acres of private property that has been mistakenly included
within the Coastal Barrier Resources System. An identical bill, H.R.
154, has been proposed by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Paul). I
compliment him for his leadership on behalf of this measure.
Specifically, the Matagorda dunes subdivision in Matagorda, Texas,
was placed into the system despite the fact that a full complement of
infrastructure, including roads and electricity, existed prior to 1977
and that it exceeded the number of structures per acre rule that is
required for inclusion under the act.
For more than 20 years, these homeowners were told they were not
within the system and therefore eligible for both Federal flood
insurance and State wind insurance. These policies have now been
canceled, and it is essential that this mistake be corrected so that
their property can be protected from any future flooding problems. It
is difficult, if not impossible, to sell coastal property or obtain a
home mortgage without access to Federal flood insurance.
During the hearing before the Committee on Resources on this
legislation, the administration expressed strong support and a local
county judge testified, ``A mistake was made 21 years ago that placed
this little subdivision in CBRA. It does not matter who made the
mistake, but now since the mistake has come to light, please help us
fix it.''
Finally, the House version of this bill was unanimously approved by
the Committee on Resources. I urge my colleagues to support Senate
1066. I again compliment the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Paul) for
representing his constituents in such an effective way.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mrs. NAPOLITANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend
her remarks.)
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, S. 1066 is a noncontroversial piece of
legislation that is identical to companion legislation, H.R. 154,
passed and reported by the Committee on Resources earlier this year as
was just addressed by my colleague.
By all evidence this technical correction appears to be genuine and
needed to fix a legitimate error in the maps depicting the Matagorda
subdivision in Unit T-07. For this reason and because this legislation
would not undermine the policies of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act,
Members should not oppose this legislation, and I recommend they vote
for it.
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support S. 1066, the Senate
version of my H.R. 154, which I introduced on the first day of the
108th Congress. This legislation fixes a mistake in the official Fish
and Wildlife Services' maps by removing a 19-acre area known as
Matagorda Dunes, in Matagorda County, Texas, from the John H. Chafee
Coastal Barrier Resources Act (COBRA). This change is fully supported
by the Fish and Wildlife Service. In fact, a Fish and Wildlife Service
created map, dated July 12, 2002, acknowledges the error.
This change will ensure property owners who had already begun
developing this area are able to obtain insurance. Congress never
intended to deny these landowners access to insurance. Matagorda Dunes
was included in COBRA as a result of a drafting error when the COBRA
maps were revised in the early eighties. Unless this mistake is fixed,
the result could be catastrophic for these property owners who invested
in developing Matagorda Dunes under the belief that the land was
excluded from COBRA. A failure to fix this mistake could also be quite
costly to the American taxpayers.
Fixing this mistake is also quite important to the people of
Matagorda County, which is why a county official traveled to Washington
to testify at a hearing on this bill in September. In conclusion, I
thank Chairman Pombo and my colleague from Texas, Senator Hutchison,
for their work on this issue and I urge my colleagues to support this
important bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the Senate bill, S. 1066.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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