[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.
____________________