[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 101 (Monday, July 9, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H4672-H4673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         FORMER CHARLESTON NAVAL BASE LAND EXCHANGE ACT OF 2012

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (S. 2061) to provide for an exchange of land between the 
Department of Homeland Security and the South Carolina State Ports 
Authority.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2061

       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 ``Former Charleston Naval Base 
     Land Exchange Act of 2012''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means the 
     parcels consisting of approximately 10.499 acres of land 
     (including improvements) that are owned by the United States, 
     located on the former U.S. Naval Base Complex in North 
     Charleston, South Carolina, and included within the 
     Charleston County Tax Assessor's Office Tax Map Number 400-
     00-00-004, and shown as New Parcel B in that certain plat of 
     Forsberg Engineering and Surveying Inc., dated May 25, 2007, 
     entitled in part ``Plat Showing the Subdivision of TMS 400-
     00-00-004 into Parcel B and Remaining Residual (Parcel A).
       (2) Non-federal land.--The term ``non-Federal land'' means 
     the 3 parcels of land (including improvements) authorized to 
     be conveyed to the United States under this Act.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Homeland Security.
       (4) State ports authority.--The term ``State Ports 
     Authority'' means the South Carolina State Ports Authority, 
     an agency of the State of South Carolina.

     SEC. 3. LAND EXCHANGE.

       (a) Land Exchange.--
       (1) In general.--In exchange for the conveyance to the 
     Secretary, by quitclaim deed, of all right, title, and 
     interest of the State Ports Authority to the non-Federal land 
     owned by the State Ports Authority, the Secretary is 
     authorized to convey to the State Ports Authority, by 
     quitclaim deed, all right, title, and interest of the United 
     States in and to the Federal land.
       (2) Exchange.--If the State Ports Authority offers to 
     convey to the Secretary all right, title, and interest of the 
     State Ports Authority in and to the non-Federal parcels 
     identified in subsection (b), the Secretary--
       (A) is authorized to accept the offer; and
       (B) on acceptance of the offer, shall simultaneously convey 
     to the State Ports Authority all right, title, and interest 
     of the United States in and to approximately 10.499 acres of 
     Federal land.
       (b) Non-Federal Land Described.--The non-Federal land 
     (including improvements) to be conveyed under this section 
     consists of--
       (1) the approximately 18.736 acres of land that is owned by 
     the State Ports Authority, located on S. Hobson Avenue, and 
     currently depicted in the Charleston County Tax Assessor's 
     Office as Tax Map Number 400-00-00-158, and as New I-48.55 
     Parcel B, containing 18.736 acres, on the plat recorded in 
     the Charleston County RMC Office in Plat Book EL, at page 
     280;
       (2) the approximately 4.069 acres of land that is owned by 
     the State Ports Authority, located on Thompson Avenue and the 
     Cooper River, and currently depicted in the Charleston County 
     Tax Assessor's Office as Tax Map Number 400-00-00-156, and as 
     New II-121.44 Parcel C, containing 4.069 acres, on the plat 
     recorded in the Charleston County RMC Office in Plat Book 
     L09, at pages 0391-393; and
       (3) the approximately 2.568 acres of land that is owned by 
     the State Ports Authority, located on Partridge Avenue, and 
     currently depicted in the Charleston County Tax Assessor's 
     Office as Tax Map Number 400-00-00-157, and as New II-121.44 
     Parcel B, containing 2.568 acres, on the plat recorded in the 
     Charleston County RMC Office in Plat Book L09, at pages 0391-
     0393.
       (c) Land Title.--Title to the non-Federal land conveyed to 
     the Secretary under this section shall--
       (1) be acceptable to the Secretary; and
       (2) conform to the title approval standards of the Attorney 
     General of the United States applicable to land acquisitions 
     by the Federal Government.

     SEC. 4. EXCHANGE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

       (a) In General.--The conveyance of Federal land under 
     section 3 shall be subject to--
       (1) any valid existing rights; and
       (2) any additional terms and conditions that the Secretary 
     determines to be appropriate to protect the interests of the 
     United States.
       (b) Costs.--The costs of carrying out the exchange of land 
     under section 3 shall be shared equally by the Secretary and 
     the State Ports Authority.
       (c) Equal Value Exchange.--Notwithstanding the appraised 
     value of the land exchanged under section 3, the values of 
     the Federal and non-Federal land in the land exchange under 
     section 3 shall be considered to be equal.

     SEC. 5. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.

       On acceptance of title to the non-Federal land by the 
     Secretary--
       (1) the non-Federal land shall be added to and administered 
     as part of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; and
       (2) the boundaries of the Federal Law Enforcement Training 
     Center shall be adjusted to exclude the exchanged Federal 
     land.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Dold). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Chu) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.

[[Page H4673]]

                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and to include extraneous materials on S. 2061 currently 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation authorizes the Secretary of the 
Department of Homeland Security to transfer property located in South 
Carolina and owned by the United States in exchange for property owned 
by the South Carolina State Ports Authority.
  The Department will acquire land that is important to the continued 
operation and development of the Federal Law Enforcement Training 
Center's maritime academy. The State of South Carolina will acquire 
land that will allow the South Carolina State Ports Authority to 
develop an access road to Interstate 26.
  This exchange would have already occurred, but the Department of 
Homeland Security Secretary lacked the authority to engage in the 
transfer of real property. This bill gives the Secretary the necessary 
authority to facilitate this transaction. This is a commonsense 
solution that will benefit both the State of South Carolina and the 
United States.
  This bill and the underlying land exchange is supported by the 
Governor of South Carolina, the South Carolina State Ports Authority, 
and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The 
Senate passed this bill by unanimous consent last month.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan 
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate 2061, the Former 
Charleston Naval Base Land Exchange Act of 2012. This bill authorizes 
the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security to convey a parcel of 
Federal land in North Charleston, South Carolina, to the South Carolina 
State Ports Authority in exchange for specified lands owned by the 
Ports Authority.
  The land to be transferred by the Department of Homeland Security 
formerly comprised a portion of the Charleston Naval Base but is now 
vacant. DHS currently leases the land it plans to acquire in this 
transfer and uses it to house some of the operations of the Federal Law 
Enforcement Training Center also known as FLETC.
  The Charleston Harbor area includes the fourth busiest international 
container shipping port in the United States, with one passenger and 
four container port terminals, as well as numerous privately held 
terminals. The waterways in this area contain shipping channels, 
rivers, bays, creeks, streams, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the 
Atlantic Ocean. These waterways provide a realistic training 
environment for FLETC's Maritime Law Enforcement and Port Security 
students.
  Specifically, the FLETC Charleston facility is one of Charleston's 
three residential training centers and includes a variety of 
specialized capabilities for maritime law enforcement and port security 
training. The facilities include four deepwater piers for large 
commercial or military vessels and three sets of floating docks for 
smaller vessels.
  Students at the FLETC Charleston facility engage in programs such as 
commercial vessel, boarding, training, maritime tactical operations 
training, and seaport security antiterrorism training. All of these 
programs are critical to protecting our Nation from the potential of a 
variety of criminal and terrorist threats.
  By allowing a mutually beneficial transfer of the lands between the 
Port Authority and DHS, we are advancing the important mission of the 
FLETC.
  I urge my colleagues to support Senate 2061, which the Senate has 
already adopted, so that it may become law.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. 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 Texas (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, S. 2061.
  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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