[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8349-H8350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AMENDING THE LEASE LOT CONVEYANCE ACT OF 2002 TO PROVIDE THAT AMOUNTS 
RECEIVED BY THE UNITED STATES UNDER THAT ACT SHALL BE DEPOSITED IN THE 
                            RECLAMATION FUND

  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 1791) to amend the Lease Lot Conveyance Act of 2002 to 
provide that the amounts received by the United States under that Act 
shall be deposited in the reclamation fund, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 1791

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

     SECTION 1. LEASE LOT CONVEYANCE.

       Section 4(b) of the Lease Lot Conveyance Act of 2002 (116 
     Stat. 2879) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``As consideration'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) In general.--As consideration''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) Use.--Amounts received under paragraph (1) shall be--
       ``(A) deposited by the Secretary, on behalf of the Rio 
     Grande Project, in the reclamation fund established under the 
     first section of the Act of June 17, 1902 (43 U.S.C. 391); 
     and
       ``(B) made immediately available to the Irrigation 
     Districts, to be credited in accordance with section 4(I) of 
     the Act of December 5, 1924 (43 U.S.C. 501).''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Pombo) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo).
  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1791, authored by our Senate colleague Pete Domenici 
of New Mexico, amends the Lease Lot Conveyance Act of 2002 to provide 
that the amounts received by the United States under the act shall be 
deposited by the Secretary of the Interior in the reclamation fund for 
the benefit of the Elephant Butte Irrigation District and El Paso 
County Water Improvement District.
  I urge adoption of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to the consideration of this 
measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Pearce).
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of S. 1791, 
a bill to amend the Lease Lot Conveyance Act of 2002.
  The Lease Lot Conveyance Act of 2002 directed the Secretary of the 
Interior to convey property to 403 cabin sites to the Elephant Butte/
Caballo Leaseholders Association at fair market value. The necessary 
appraisals are almost done, and this land will be conveyed to the 
association in accordance to the 2002 act.
  The need for the amendment has arisen because the 2002 act was 
unclear and did not state specifically what the Bureau of Reclamation 
should do with the receipts.

                              {time}  0115

  The original agreement was for the money to be derived from the sale 
of this property to be deposited into the Reclamation Fund for 
immediate use by the applicable irrigation districts to help with their 
annual operations and maintenance costs. Because of a drafting 
oversight, the Bureau of Reclamation cannot fulfill the 
responsibilities of the original agreement of the 2002

[[Page H8350]]

act. This bill simply corrects the oversight.
  According to the Congressional Budget Office, S. 1791 would have no 
effect on Federal revenues.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill.
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 1791.
  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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