[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 26, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4488-H4489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     DON YOUNG ALASKA NATIVE HEALTH CARE LAND TRANSFERS ACT OF 2022

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 441) to provide for the conveyance of certain property to 
the Tanana Tribal Council located in Tanana, Alaska, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 441

       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 ``Don Young Alaska Native 
     Health Care Land Transfers Act of 2022''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       For the purposes of this Act:
       (1) Consortia.--The term ``Consortia'' means the Alaska 
     Native Tribal Health Consortium and Southeast Alaska Regional 
     Health Consortium.
       (2) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the Tanana Tribal 
     Council located in Tanana, Alaska.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services.

     SEC. 3. CONVEYANCES OF PROPERTY.

       (a) Conveyance of Property to the Tanana Tribal Council.--
       (1) In general.--As soon as practicable, but not later than 
     180 days, after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary shall convey to the Council all right, title, and 
     interest of the United States in and to the property 
     described in paragraph (2) for use in connection with health 
     and social services programs.
       (2) Property described.--The property referred to in 
     paragraph (1), including all land, improvements, and 
     appurtenances, described in this paragraph is the property 
     included in U.S. Survey No. 5958 in the village of Tanana, 
     Alaska, within surveyed lot 12, T. 4 N., R. 22 W., Fairbanks 
     Meridian, Alaska, containing approximately 11.25 acres.
       (b) Conveyance of Property to the Southeast Alaska Regional 
     Health Consortium.--
       (1) In general.--As soon as practicable, but not later than 
     2 years, after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary shall convey to the Southeast Alaska Regional 
     Health Consortium located in Sitka, Alaska, all right, title, 
     and interest of the United States in and to the property 
     described in paragraph (2) for use in connection with health 
     and social services programs.
       (2) Property described.--The property referred to in 
     paragraph (1), including all land and appurtenances, 
     described in this paragraph is the property included in U.S. 
     Survey 1496, lots 4 and 7, partially surveyed T. 55 S., R. 63 
     E., Copper River Meridian, containing approximately 10.87 
     acres in Sitka, Alaska.
       (c) Conveyance of Property to the Alaska Native Tribal 
     Health Consortium.--
       (1) In general.--As soon as practicable, but not later than 
     1 year, after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary shall convey to the Alaska Native Tribal Health 
     Consortium located in Anchorage, Alaska, all right, title, 
     and interest of the United States in and to the property 
     described in paragraph (2) for use in connection with health 
     programs.
       (2) Property described.--The property referred to in 
     paragraph (1), including all land, improvements, and 
     appurtenances, is the following:
       (A) Lot 1A in Block 31A, East Addition, Anchorage Townsite, 
     United States Survey No. 408, Plat No. 96-117, recorded on 
     November 22, 1996, in the Anchorage Recording District.
       (B) Block 32C, East Addition, Anchorage Townsite, United 
     States Survey No. 408, Plat No. 96-118, recorded on November 
     22, 1996, in the Anchorage Recording District.

     SEC. 4. CONDITIONS OF THE CONVEYANCE OF THE PROPERTIES.

       (a) Conditions.--The conveyance of the properties under 
     section 3--
       (1) shall be made by warranty deed; and
       (2) shall not--
       (A) require any consideration from the Consortia or the 
     Council for the property;
       (B) impose any obligation, term, or condition on the 
     Consortia or the Council regarding the property; or
       (C) allow for any reversionary interest of the United 
     States in the property.
       (b) Effect on Any Quitclaim Deed.--The conveyance by the 
     Secretary of title by warranty deed under subsection (a)(1) 
     shall, on the effective date of the conveyance, supersede and 
     render of no future effect any quitclaim deed to the 
     properties described in section 3 executed by the Secretary 
     and the Consortia or the Council.

     SEC. 5. ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITY.

       (a) Liability.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, neither the Consortia nor the Council shall be liable 
     for any soil, surface water, groundwater, or other 
     contamination resulting from the disposal, release, or 
     presence of any environmental contamination on any portion of 
     the property described in section 3 that occurred on or 
     before the date on which the Consortia or the Council 
     controlled, occupied, and used the properties.
       (2) Environmental contamination.--An environmental 
     contamination described in paragraph (1) includes any oil or 
     petroleum products, hazardous substances, hazardous 
     materials, hazardous waste, pollutants, toxic substances, 
     solid waste, or any other environmental contamination or 
     hazard as defined in any Federal or State of Alaska law.
       (b) Easement.--The Secretary shall be accorded any easement 
     or access to the property conveyed under this Act as may be 
     reasonably necessary to satisfy any retained obligation or 
     liability of the Secretary.
       (c) Notice of Hazardous Substance Activity and Warranty.--
     In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall comply with 
     section 120(h) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
     Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)).
       (d) Limitation on Applicability.--The provisions in this 
     section apply only to the property conveyances specifically 
     required by this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Bentz) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the matter under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 441, the Don Young Alaska Native Health Care Land 
Transfers Act of 2022, serves as a testament to the legacy of advocacy 
that the late dean of the House and our friend, Don Young of Alaska, 
provided Alaska Natives.
  This particular legislation was something that he was urging--as 
recently as right before his passing, before we all left--upon me to 
move as quickly as possible, and I am glad that we have been able to 
get it to this point.
  This legislation directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services to convey certain parcels of land to the Tanana Tribal 
Council, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, and the 
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium for the purpose of expanding 
social and healthcare services.

                              {time}  1615

  Together, these three nonprofit entities support the Alaska Native 
communities as Tribal health and social service providers in both urban 
and rural settings.
  The Tanana Tribal Council, located in Tanana, Alaska, provides 
outpatient services to Alaska Natives. Since the council is rurally 
located, healthcare services are often underfunded and harder to come 
by.
  This legislation's conveyance of approximately 11.25 acres of land to 
the council will allow it to build a new facility and expand existing 
services to its Indian Health Service beneficiaries, thereby increasing 
the quality of care available.
  The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium delivers care to 
Alaska Natives as one of the oldest and largest Native-run healthcare 
organizations in the United States. The consortium operates the Mt. 
Edgecumbe Hospital, a 25-bed critical access facility located in Sitka, 
Alaska, which is in serious need of renovation due to its age and 
current condition.
  This legislation's conveyance of roughly 10.87 acres of land to the 
consortium will facilitate the planned modernization of the hospital by 
granting the consortium title to the acreage.
  The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium serves the healthcare 
needs of thousands of Alaska Native and American Indian patients in 
south-central Alaska. The consortium provides medical services at the 
Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska, and provides 
wellness programs, disease research and prevention, rural provider 
trainings, as well as water and sanitation systems construction.

[[Page H4489]]

  This legislation will grant the consortium ownership over two parcels 
of land totaling approximately 3.5 acres, thus allowing the consortium 
to streamline its operations and conduct building refurbishments 
without reliance on the Federal Government.
  My late friend and colleague, Representative Don Young, championed 
these three land transfers, now combined into H.R. 441, to promote 
health equity among rural Alaska Natives. His work on behalf of Indian 
Country never ceased throughout his time in Congress.
  I am grateful that we are here today to support this legislation and 
these three critical Tribal health entities in Alaska, a reminder of 
the support that Indian Country received from Don Young.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill and call for its swift 
passage, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BENTZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 441, as amended, that 
will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Indian Health Service, to convey by warranty deed and for health-
related activities certain parcels of Federal land to the Tanana Tribal 
Council, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, and the 
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
  This amended text is a compilation of three separate Indian 
healthcare land transfer bills for the State of Alaska introduced by 
the late Congressman Don Young. All three of these bills were favorably 
reported out of the Committee on Natural Resources by unanimous consent 
during this Congress.
  The first land transfer directed under this act includes 10.25 acres 
of land in Tanana, Alaska. In 1995, the Tanana Tribal Council assumed 
responsibility for healthcare services from the Indian Health Service. 
The parcel of land the Tribe is seeking title to encompasses a portion 
of a former Indian Health Service hospital site. The council intends to 
use the land to construct a new community wellness clinic, expand 
eldercare, and develop nursing services.
  The second transfer includes 10.87 acres of land that is part of the 
Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital campus in Sitka, Alaska. The Southeast Alaska 
Regional Health Consortium is a Native-run nonprofit health 
organization that assumed responsibility for providing healthcare 
services from the Indian Health Service in 1976 and currently operates 
its Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital in Sitka. The consortium intends to use the 
parcel to support future hospital expansion and replacement.
  The third land transfer under this act includes 3.5 acres of land 
that is part of the Alaska Native Medical Center campus in Anchorage. 
In 1999, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium assumed 
responsibility for healthcare services from the Indian Health Service, 
and the consortium provides comprehensive medical services at the 
Alaska Native Medical Center.
  The ANTHC is the largest Native-run nonprofit health organization in 
the United States, serving more than 178,000 Native Alaskans. Gaining 
title to the parcels will enable the ANTHC to streamline its 
operations, update and refurbish, and expand the hospital's capacity to 
offer health services to patients outside of Anchorage.
  Before I conclude, I will take a moment to again recognize all the 
hard work Congressman Young put into serving his constituents and, 
notably, his work for Native people in Alaska during his tenure in 
Congress. I think it is more than appropriate that we are renaming this 
legislation after the late dean of the House, further memorializing his 
efforts for Native Alaskans. Mr. Young will be deeply missed by all of 
us.
  Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Bentz for his 
work on these pieces of legislation today and acknowledge his work on 
Representative Meng's H.R. 3525, in particular. There were difficult 
things to navigate there, and we appreciate the effort on his part. 
Hopefully, we were as cooperative.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 441, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to provide 
for the conveyance of certain property to the Tanana Tribal Council 
located in Tanana, Alaska, the conveyance of certain property to the 
Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium located in Sitka, Alaska, 
and the conveyance of certain property to the Alaska Native Tribal 
Health Consortium located in Anchorage, Alaska, and for other 
purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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