[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H8144-H8145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  AUTHORIZING EARLY REPAYMENT OF OBLIGATIONS TO BUREAU OF RECLAMATION 
                  WITHIN NORTHPORT IRRIGATION DISTRICT

  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4689) to authorize early repayment of obligations to the 
Bureau of Reclamation within the Northport Irrigation District in the 
State of Nebraska.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4689

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

     SECTION 1. EARLY REPAYMENT OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 213 of the 
     Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (43 U.S.C. 390mm), any 
     landowner within the Northport Irrigation District in the 
     State of Nebraska (referred to in this section as the 
     ``District'') may repay, at any time, the construction costs 
     of project facilities allocated to the landowner's land 
     within the District.
       (b) Applicability of Full-Cost Pricing Limitations.--On 
     discharge, in full, of the obligation for repayment of all 
     construction costs described in subsection (a) that are 
     allocated to all land the landowner owns in the District in 
     question, the parcels of land shall not be subject to the 
     ownership and full-cost pricing limitations under Federal 
     reclamation law (the Act of June 17, 1902, 32 Stat. 388, 
     chapter 1093), and Acts supplemental to and amendatory of 
     that Act (43 U.S.C. 371 et seq.), including the Reclamation 
     Reform Act of 1982 (13 U.S.C. 390aa et seq.).
       (c) Certification.--On request of a landowner that has 
     repaid, in full, the construction costs described in 
     subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior shall provide 
     to the landowner a certificate described in section 213(b)(1) 
     of the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (43 U.S.C. 
     390mm(b)(1)).
       (d) Effect.--Nothing in this section--
       (1) modifies any contractual rights under, or amends or 
     reopens, the reclamation contract between the District and 
     the United States; or
       (2) modifies any rights, obligations, or relationships 
     between the District and landowners in the District under 
     Nebraska State law.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Montana (Mr. Gianforte) and the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. 
Tsongas) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Montana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GIANFORTE. 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 Montana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, under Federal reclamation law, 
irrigation districts that receive water from a Bureau of Reclamation 
facility typically repay their portion of the capital costs of water 
projects under long-term contracts.
  Under its current contract and current law, Northport Irrigation 
District is exempt from annual capital repayment if their carriage fee 
exceeds $8,000 per year. Given the carriage fee has greatly exceeded 
this amount every year since the 1950s, Northport's capital repayment 
debt has been stagnant at more than $923,000 since 1952. So long as the 
debt endures, landowners are subject to burdensome reporting 
requirements and acreage limitations, and no revenue is generated for 
the Federal Government.
  I introduced this bill to provide members of the Northport Irrigation 
District early repayment authority under their dated reclamation 
contract. Allowing producers within the Northport Irrigation District 
to pay off their portion of the contract means the government will 
receive funds otherwise uncollected and landowners will be relieved of 
costly constraints that threaten family-owned operations.
  For example, at a previous Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee 
hearing, a member of the Northport district testified that acreage 
limitations will prohibit parents who own land in the district from 
passing down or selling farmland to sons and daughters who also own 
land in the same district.
  Similar legislation has previously passed under bipartisan majorities 
and, according to past CBO projections, could generate as much as 
$440,000 in Federal revenue.
  This is a very simple bill that would make a big difference to some 
family farmers in Nebraska.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4689 would authorize landowners served by the 
Northport Irrigation District to prepay the remaining portion of 
construction costs allocated to them for the North Platte project. In 
exchange, the landowners who pay will no longer be subject to Federal 
acreage limitations and other requirements associated with the 
Reclamation Reform Act.
  Mr. Speaker, we do not object to this legislation, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Mr. Smith for his 
work on this bill, and I yield back the remainder of my time.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4689.
  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. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.

[[Page H8145]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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