[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 137 (Wednesday, November 12, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H7914-H7915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, FEDERAL LAND CONVEYANCE ACT OF 2013

  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 898) to authorize the Administrator of General Services to 
convey a parcel of real property in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Amy 
Biehl High School Foundation.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 898

       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 ``Albuquerque, New Mexico, 
     Federal Land Conveyance Act of 2013''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of General Services.
       (2) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means the real 
     property located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that, as 
     determined by the Administrator, subject to survey, generally 
     consists of lots 12 through 19, and for the westerly 
     boundary, the portion of either lot 19 or 20 which is the 
     outside west wall of the basement level of the Old Post 
     Office building, and which has a municipal address of 123 
     Fourth Street, SW, in Block 18, New Mexico Town Company's 
     Original Townsite, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
       (3) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the Amy 
     Biehl High School Foundation.

     SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF REAL PROPERTY IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW 
                   MEXICO, TO THE AMY BIEHL HIGH SCHOOL 
                   FOUNDATION.

       (a) Conveyance.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, the Administrator shall offer to convey to the 
     Foundation, by quitclaim deed, all right, title, and interest 
     of the United States in and to the Federal land.
       (b) Consideration.--As consideration for conveyance of the 
     Federal land under subsection (a), the Administrator shall 
     require the Foundation to pay to the Administrator 
     consideration in an amount equal to the fair market value of 
     the Federal land, as determined based on an appraisal that is 
     acceptable to the Administrator.
       (c) Costs of Conveyance.--The Foundation shall be 
     responsible for paying--
       (1) the costs of an appraisal conducted under subsection 
     (b); and
       (2) any other costs relating to the conveyance of the 
     Federal land under this Act.
       (d) Proceeds.--
       (1) Deposit.--Net proceeds received under subsection (b) 
     shall be paid into the Federal Buildings Fund established 
     under section 592 of title 40, United States Code.
       (2) Expenditure.--Amounts paid into the Federal Buildings 
     Fund under paragraph (1) shall be available to the 
     Administrator, in amounts specified in appropriations Acts, 
     for expenditure for any lawful purpose consistent with 
     existing authorities granted to the Administrator, except 
     that the Administrator shall provide to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public 
     Works of the Senate 30 days advance written notice of any 
     expenditure of the proceeds.
       (e) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Administrator may 
     require that any conveyance under subsection (a) be subject 
     to such additional terms and conditions as the Administrator 
     considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United 
     States.
       (f) Deadline.--The conveyance of the Federal land under 
     this Act shall occur not later than 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Meadows) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Carson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on S. 898.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  S. 898 would direct the GSA to convey property in New Mexico to the 
Amy Biehl High School Foundation for fair market value.
  The Amy Biehl High School is a public charter school that has been 
using the building since 2006. While the school currently leases the 
facility from the General Services Administration, the GSA only 
receives a nominal rent, making it more costly to the taxpayers to 
maintain the property. In fact, the Amy Biehl Foundation has invested 
funds to renovate and restore the building for use as a school. The GSA 
has determined that there is no Federal need for the property, and it 
has concluded that the cost of managing the building exceeds any 
revenue. Selling this property for fair market value will ensure that 
taxpayers receive the best return on the property.

[[Page H7915]]

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of S. 898.
  S. 898 directs the Administrator of the GSA to transfer the old 
Federal post office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Amy Biehl High 
School Foundation in exchange for its fair market value.
  The Amy Biehl High School is a public charter school that is 
sponsored by the foundation that was founded in 1999 and has been 
residing in the Old Post Office building since 2006. Currently, the 
public charter school has a long-term lease agreement with the GSA for 
a nominal rent. The GSA has indicated to the committee that the agency 
has no need for the facility and that this directed sale supports the 
GSA's efforts to downsize and dispose of underutilized properties.

                              {time}  1645

  My own subcommittee has approved a nearly identical bill.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to acknowledge the memory of Amy 
Biehl. Ms. Biehl was a 26-year-old Fulbright Scholar working in South 
Africa when she was tragically attacked and killed in 1993. In the 
aftermath, Amy's parents, Linda and Peter Biehl, started a foundation 
to build on their daughter's work toward peace, reconciliation, and 
multiculturalism in South Africa. The new school, which is located in 
New Mexico, builds on this great work.
  Now, approving this bill to transfer the building at its fair market 
value will promote Amy's legacy and benefit the taxpayers. I will 
continue to support efforts by both the committee and the 
administration to reduce our Federal footprint.
  I support this bill, Mr. Speaker, and I urge my colleagues to approve 
it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman for his 
support in a bipartisan manner and for reminding us all of the 
importance of this legacy, not only the vision of why this school was 
created but the importance of that mission. It is certainly a pleasure 
to work in a bipartisan way with the gentleman.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentlelady from New Mexico, Madam Lujan Grisham.
  Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I would like 
to thank my colleagues, both Representative Carson from Indiana and my 
colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows), for their support on S. 
898. As you have just heard, this is a companion bill to a nearly 
identical bill, my bill H.R. 3998, which passed this body on June 17.
  Now, we have also heard that this bill is to sell a Federal building 
at fair market value which costs more in its current lease arrangement 
than it does in this transaction and arrangement. You have also heard 
that this is an incredible school, memorializing an incredible legacy.
  But what you haven't heard today is that the foundation has raised 
more than $3 million to continue to invest not only in the purchase of 
the building but to expand their educational footprint in New Mexico.
  In my district in Albuquerque, we have difficulties reaching out to a 
high-poverty, high at-risk high school group. This school has 
incredible outcomes. They are seeing a 100 percent graduation rate, 80 
percent graduation rates out of college; and of that 80 percent, nearly 
all of those students continue a very aggressive community 
relationship. Part of this school's requirement is that not only do you 
meet your basic high school curriculum but you have to invest 
considerably in community work in a variety of nonprofit and charitable 
work.
  I want to also give a special thanks and extend my gratitude to 
Senator Tom Udall for working with me on this bill and to Chairman 
Shuster and Ranking Member Rahall for their help in bringing the 
legislation to the floor.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill 
that helps the Amy Biehl High School to continue to provide Albuquerque 
students with a first-rate education while also preserving a historic 
piece of downtown Albuquerque.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my good 
friend from Florida, Representative Murphy.
  Mr. MURPHY of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the bill before us and appreciate the hard 
work of my colleagues to bring it to the floor.
  Today I join my colleagues in speaking in support of reauthorizing 
the National Estuary Program because our local economy on the Treasure 
Coast and Palm Beaches rely on healthy water.
  This important program helps protect and improve some of our Nation's 
most at-risk waterways, including the Indian River Lagoon located in 
the district I am proud to represent, which has been devastated by 
toxic algae in recent years, negatively impacting not only the health 
of this unique ecosystem but also our local economy.
  The National Estuary Program funds local projects that help improve 
water quality, protect threatened species, and coordinate local 
agencies to respond to other urgent needs.
  In our own backyard, these projects include wetland restoration, 
shellfish rehabilitation, freshwater discharge management, and other 
approaches that benefit the health of our local waterways on the 
Treasure Coast and across the Nation.
  I am very pleased to see a competitive award program included in this 
bill that I proposed, along with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Posey), to help estuaries most at risk where reoccurring harmful algal 
blooms, sea grass loss, and invasive species are threatening the 
fragile ecology of these important water systems.
  I hope my colleagues will continue to support this effective program 
not only because of its benefits to sustaining important estuaries 
across the country but also due to the urgent need to address the 
serious problems facing many of these waterways, including the Indian 
River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the House for coming together and acting so 
swiftly to reauthorize this bipartisan and cost-effective bill that is 
necessary for our country's coastal ecosystems and the economies that 
rely on their well-being. I hope the Senate will act expeditiously to 
do the same.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time at this 
point, and I am prepared to close.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. MEADOWS. I thank the gentleman for his bipartisan effort to make 
sure that this important piece of legislation gets passed, and I urge 
all of my colleagues to support it.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 898.
  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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