[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 31 (Monday, February 23, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H1627-H1628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UTAH NATIONAL GUARD READINESS ACT

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 603) to require the conveyance of certain public land within 
the boundaries of Camp Williams, Utah, to support the training and 
readiness of the Utah National Guard.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 603

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Utah National Guard 
     Readiness Act''.

     SEC. 2. LAND CONVEYANCE, CAMP WILLIAMS, UTAH.

       (a) Conveyance Required.--Not later than 120 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
     Interior, acting through the Bureau of Land Management, shall 
     convey, without consideration, to the State of Utah all 
     right, title, and interest of the United States in and to 
     certain lands comprising approximately 431 acres, as 
     generally depicted on a map entitled ``Proposed Camp Williams 
     Land Transfer'' and dated March 7, 2008, which are located 
     within the boundaries of the public lands currently withdrawn 
     for military use by the Utah National Guard and known as Camp 
     Williams, Utah, for the purpose of permitting the Utah 
     National Guard to use the conveyed land as provided in 
     subsection (c).
       (b) Revocation of Executive Order.--Executive Order No. 
     1922 of April 24, 1914, as amended by section 907 of the Camp 
     W.G. Williams Land Exchange Act of 1989 (title IX of Public 
     Law 101-628; 104 Stat. 4501), shall be revoked, only insofar 
     as it affects the lands identified for conveyance to the 
     State of Utah under subsection (a).
       (c) Reversionary Interest.--The lands conveyed to the State 
     of Utah under subsection (a) shall revert to the United 
     States if the Secretary of the Interior determines that the 
     land, or any portion thereof, is sold or attempted to be 
     sold, or that the land, or any portion thereof, is used for 
     non-National Guard or non-national defense purposes. Any 
     determination by the Secretary of the Interior under this 
     subsection shall be made in consultation with the Secretary 
     of Defense and the Governor of Utah and on the record after 
     an opportunity for comment.
       (d) Hazardous Materials.--With respect to any portion of 
     the land conveyed under subsection (a) that the Secretary of 
     the Interior determines is subject to reversion under 
     subsection (c), if the Secretary of the Interior also 
     determines that the portion of the conveyed land contains 
     hazardous materials, the State of Utah shall pay the United 
     States an amount equal to the fair market value of that 
     portion of the land, and the reversionary interest shall not 
     apply to that portion of the land.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 603 was introduced by the ranking 
member on the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee, 
Representative Rob Bishop. It directs the Secretary of the Interior to 
convey public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management to the 
State of Utah for use by the Utah National Guard. The land would revert 
to the United States should it ever cease being used by the Guard. This 
legislation was approved by the House during the 110th Congress but was 
not considered in the other body.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend our colleague Representative Bishop 
for his leadership in this matter and for

[[Page H1628]]

his willingness to work with the committee to resolve issues raised 
during the earlier consideration of this legislation. We have no 
objection to the passage of H.R. 603.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Once again, I appreciate the kind words of the gentlelady from Guam. 
I also appreciate the help and assistance of the chairman of the full 
committee, Mr. Rahall, and of the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. 
Grijalva, in moving this bill forward.
  This is another bill that was discussed in the last session and was 
passed over there. Part of it was actually incorporated into the one by 
the Senate. The other part was not. This needs to finish off the 
process. It has the support of the entire Utah delegation, which 
happens to be bipartisan this time. It was suggested by the Adjutant 
General of the Utah National Guard as well as by the Governor of the 
State of Utah. It deals with long-term growing pains of the Utah 
National Guard facilities, their Camp Williams headquarters in Utah.
  As we discussed, part of the issue is that the State of Utah has 
outgrown the amount of land it owns within the camp for which there can 
be buildings. What we are asking in this land transfer is to make sure 
that the land would always stay where it is. It would be for military 
purposes, but land that belongs to the Bureau of Land Management would 
be transferred to the State for the building of facilities at the Utah 
National Guard, specifically for Utah National Guard purposes. It has 
to have that kind of purpose with it. This land transfer would allow 
the Utah National Guard to fulfill its military mission in land that is 
presently part of the camp, but technically not under the ownership of 
the State of Utah, for the sole purpose of building military 
infrastructure.
  With that, I appreciate the kind words that have been said, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Actually, for the gentlewoman from Guam, I have no other speakers on 
this one. Do you have any other speakers?
  Ms. BORDALLO. I have no further speakers.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Then I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support H.R. 603, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 603.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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