[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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