[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 175 (Tuesday, December 6, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H7208-H7209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ARBUCKLE PROJECT MAINTENANCE COMPLEX AND DISTRICT OFFICE CONVEYANCE ACT 
                                OF 2016

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1219) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
convey certain land and appurtenances of the Arbuckle Project, 
Oklahoma, to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1219

       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 ``Arbuckle Project Maintenance 
     Complex and District Office Conveyance Act of 2016''.

     SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF MAINTENANCE COMPLEX AND DISTRICT OFFICE 
                   OF THE ARBUCKLE PROJECT, OKLAHOMA.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall, as 
     soon as practicable, convey to the Arbuckle Master 
     Conservancy District, located in Murray County, Oklahoma, all 
     right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
     Maintenance Complex and District Office, Arbuckle Project, 
     Oklahoma, consistent with the terms and conditions set forth 
     in the Agreement between the United States and the Arbuckle 
     Master Conservancy District.
       (b) Definitions.--
       (1) Agreement.--The term ``Agreement'' means the Agreement 
     between the United States

[[Page H7209]]

     and the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District for Transferring 
     Title to the Federally Owned Maintenance Complex and District 
     Office to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District (Agreement 
     No. 14AG640141).
       (2) District office.--The term ``District Office'' means 
     the headquarters building located at 2440 East Main, Davis, 
     Oklahoma, and the approximately 0.83 acres described in the 
     Agreement.
       (3) Maintenance complex.--The term ``Maintenance Complex'' 
     means the caretakers residence, shop buildings, and any 
     appurtenances located on the lands described in the 
     Agreement, to include approximately 2.00 acres, more or less.
       (c) Liability.--Effective upon the date of conveyance of 
     the Maintenance Complex and District Office under this 
     section, the United States shall not be held liable by any 
     court for damages of any kind arising out of any act, 
     omission, or occurrence relating to the Maintenance Complex 
     and District Office, except for damages caused by acts of 
     negligence committed by the United States or by its employees 
     or agents prior to the date of conveyance. Nothing in this 
     section increases the liability of the United States beyond 
     that provided in chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code 
     (popularly known as the ``Federal Tort Claims Act'') on the 
     date of the enactment of this Act.
       (d) Benefits.--After conveyance of the Maintenance Complex 
     and District Office to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy 
     District--
       (1) the Maintenance Complex and District Office shall not 
     be considered to be a part of a Federal reclamation project; 
     and
       (2) such water district shall not be eligible to receive 
     any benefits with respect to any facility comprising that 
     Maintenance Complex and District Office, except benefits that 
     would be available to a similarly situated person with 
     respect to such a facility that is not part of a Federal 
     reclamation project.
       (e) Communication.--If the Secretary of the Interior has 
     not completed the conveyance required under subsection (a) 
     within 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary shall submit to Congress a letter with sufficient 
     detail that explains the reasons the conveyance has not been 
     completed and stating the date by which the conveyance will 
     be completed.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands 
(Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  This bill, H.R. 1219, sponsored by the great Congressman from 
Oklahoma, allows a water district in Oklahoma to take ownership of two 
buildings and 2 acres of land that they have paid for, they have 
operated, and they have maintained for the last several decades. 
Unfortunately, they still remain in Federal ownership, and they need 
this legislation to actually transfer it to relieve the district of 
burdensome paperwork and also relieve the Federal Government of some 
liability.
  This bill has been done 27 other times over the last two decades, 
which simply means there needs to be some kind of reform in the process 
to remove the slow pace of the Bureau of Reclamation so we don't have 
to go through such a complicated effort for such a worthy cause.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1219 is a straightforward, reasonable piece of 
legislation worthy of passage. The bill would allow a title transfer of 
two Federal buildings to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in 
south central Oklahoma.

                              {time}  1345

  These buildings are part of the Arbuckle Project, which is a water 
project, authorized by Congress in 1962, to provide flood control, 
recreational opportunities, and municipal water supply.
  Nearly all of the facilities within the Arbuckle Project were already 
transferred to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in 2012 after 
the district finished repaying what it owed the Federal Government for 
construction. However, due to some overly narrow language in the 
legislation authorizing the Arbuckle Project, two buildings within the 
project have yet to be transferred.
  Transferring the two remaining buildings will save taxpayer money 
that would otherwise be needed to operate and maintain the buildings 
and will also relieve the Federal Government of any potential future 
liability associated with the buildings. This is straightforward 
legislation that should be quickly passed.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).
  Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend for yielding, 
and I certainly want to thank him for moving this expeditiously through 
his committee and onto the floor. I want to associate myself with his 
remarks about the need for reform because this is a fairly routine 
matter.
  I rise in support of H.R. 1219, the Arbuckle Project Maintenance 
Complex and District Office Conveyance Act. This bill is a 
straightforward land conveyance, which has both Federal and local 
support.
  H.R. 1219 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
certain lands and buildings of the Arbuckle Project, in Murray County, 
Oklahoma, to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District.
  In 1962, Congress authorized the payment of reimbursable costs for 
construction, operation, and maintenance of the Bureau of Reclamation's 
Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in south-central Oklahoma. The 
district completed repayment of the capital costs of the project in 
September of 2012.
  In accordance with the Bureau of Reclamation's policy framework for 
title transfer, in December 2014, the Bureau of Reclamation and the 
district executed an agreement to transfer, in fee title, certain 
facilities that could be more efficiently and effectively managed at 
the local level.
  The title transfer involves approximately 2.83 acres of land. On this 
land is a small house, associated structures, and the conservancy 
district's headquarters office building. The House and property are 
used to accommodate a district employee who maintains and inspects the 
dam and the pumping facilities. The headquarters office building is the 
base of operation for the district.
  This bill also divests the Federal Government of its responsibility 
and liability associated with the district's facilities. Reclamation 
and the district have worked cooperatively and successfully to address 
all of the elements necessary to bring this legislation forward and 
make this transfer proceed as smoothly as possible.
  I am pleased that this bill is an agreement with which both the 
Federal and local interests are satisfied.
  I want to urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation. 
Again, I want to thank the chairman for his help in this matter.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, again, like I said, this is straightforward 
legislation that should be quickly passed. We urge its adoption.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, and I urge its 
adoption.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1219, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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