[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5658-S5659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6099. Ms. MURKOWSKI submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) 
and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2023 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1077. CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN PUBLIC LAND TO THE 
                   UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Available state-selected land.--The term ``available 
     State-selected land'' means Federal land in the State that 
     has been selected by the State pursuant to section 6(b) of 
     Public Law 85-508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood 
     Act'') (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21), including land upon which 
     the State has, prior to December 31, 1993, filed a future 
     selection application under section 906(e) of the Alaska 
     National Interest Lands Conservation Act (43 U.S.C. 1635(e)), 
     but not conveyed or patented to the State, pursuant to Public 
     Law 85-508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') 
     (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21).
       (2) Inholding.--The term ``inholding'' means any interest 
     in land owned by the University within--
       (A) any conservation system unit (as defined in section 102 
     of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (16 
     U.S.C. 3102)); or
       (B) any unit of the National Forest System in the State.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of 
     Land Management.
       (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Alaska.
       (5) University.--The term ``University'' means the 
     University of Alaska, acting through the Board of Regents.
       (b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program 
     within the Bureau of Land Management--
       (1) to identify and convey available State-selected land to 
     the University to support higher education in the State; and
       (2) to acquire, by purchase or exchange, University-owned 
     inholdings in the State.
       (c) Identification of Land to Be Conveyed to the 
     University.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the State and the University may 
     jointly identify not more than 500,000 acres of available 
     State-selected land for inclusion in the program established 
     under subsection (b), of which not more than 360,000 acres 
     may be conveyed and patented to the University.
       (2) Technical assistance.--Upon the request of the State 
     and the University, the Secretary shall provide technical 
     assistance in the identification of available State-selected 
     land for inclusion in the program.
       (3) Maps.--As soon as practicable after the date on which 
     the available State-selected land is identified under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
     Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee 
     on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives 1 or 
     more maps depicting the available State-selected land 
     identified for potential conveyance to the University.
       (4) Conveyance.--Subject to paragraph (5), if the State and 
     the University notify the Secretary in writing that the State 
     and the University jointly concur with the conveyance of all 
     or a portion of the available State-selected land identified 
     under paragraph (1), and that the State will conditionally 
     relinquish the selection rights of the State to the land 
     covered by the notification on the issuance of the land being 
     tentatively approved, and will fully relinquish those 
     selection rights on final patent by the Secretary to the 
     University, the Secretary shall convey the applicable 
     identified available State-selected land to the University, 
     subject to valid existing rights, in the same manner and 
     subject to the same terms, conditions, and limitations as is 
     applicable to the State under section 6(b) of Public Law 85-
     508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') (48 
     U.S.C. note prec. 21) and other applicable law, to be held in 
     trust for the exclusive use and benefit of the University, to 
     be administered in accordance with subsection (e).
       (5) Terms and conditions.--
       (A) Maximum acreage.--Subject to subparagraph (C), the 
     Secretary shall convey not more than a total of 360,000 acres 
     of available State-selected land to the University under this 
     subsection, not to exceed the remaining entitlement of the 
     State under section 6(b) of Public Law 85-508 (commonly known 
     as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21).
       (B) Letters of concurrence.--For purposes of paragraph (4) 
     and subject to the maximum acreage limitation under paragraph 
     (1), the State and the University may submit to the Secretary 
     1 or more joint letters of concurrence identifying parcels of 
     available State selected land for conveyance as a subset of 
     the total acres to be conveyed under this subsection.
       (C) Acreage charged against alaska statehood act 
     entitlement.--The acreage of land conveyed to the University 
     under this subsection shall be charged against the remaining 
     entitlement of the State under section 6(b) of Public Law 85-
     508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') (48 
     U.S.C. note prec. 21).
       (D) Survey costs.--In accordance with Public Law 85-508 
     (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') (48 U.S.C. 
     note prec. 21), the Secretary shall be responsible for the 
     costs of required surveys.

[[Page S5659]]

       (E) Submerged lands.--Lands beneath navigable waters (as 
     defined in section 2 of the Submerged Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
     1301)) shall not be available for conveyance to the 
     University under the program established under subsection 
     (b).
       (d) University of Alaska Inholdings.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary or the Secretary of 
     Agriculture, as appropriate, may acquire by purchase or 
     exchange, with the consent of the University, University-
     owned inholdings within Federal land in the State.
       (2) Appraisals.--The value of the land to be exchanged or 
     acquired under this subsection shall be determined by the 
     Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture, as appropriate, 
     through appraisals conducted--
       (A) in accordance with--
       (i) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land 
     Acquisitions; and
       (ii) the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal 
     Practice; and
       (B) by a qualified appraiser mutually agreed to by the 
     Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture, as appropriate, 
     and the University.
       (3) Equal value exchanges.--For any land exchange entered 
     into under this subsection, the Federal land and University-
     owned inholdings exchanged shall be of equal value.
       (4) Purchase acquisitions.--Pursuant to chapter 2003 of 
     title 54, United States Code, amounts in the Land and Water 
     Conservation Fund established by section 200302 of that title 
     may be used for the purchase of University-owned inholdings 
     within Federal land in the State under this subsection.
       (5) Requirement.--Any land acquired by the United States 
     under this subsection shall be administered in accordance 
     with the laws (including regulations) applicable to the 
     conservation system unit or unit of the National Forest 
     System in which the land is located.
       (e) Administration of Conveyed or Exchanged Land.--All 
     available State-selected land that is tentatively approved or 
     conveyed to the University under this section, and all land 
     or assets acquired by the University through an exchange 
     under this section, together with the income therefrom and 
     the proceeds from any dispositions thereof, shall be 
     administered by the University in trust to meet the necessary 
     expenses of higher education programs, similar to prior 
     Federal land grants to the University.
       (f) State and University Participation.--Nothing in this 
     section requires the State or the University--
       (1) to participate in the program established under 
     subsection (b); or
       (2) to enter into sales or exchanges of University-owned 
     inholdings under subsection (d).
       (g) Congressional Notification.--Not later than 90 days 
     after the date of any conveyance and patent to the University 
     under this section, the Secretary shall notify the Committee 
     on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
     Representatives of the land conveyed and patented.
       (h) No Effect on Alaska Statehood Act Entitlement 
     Unaffected.--Except for any available State-selected land 
     conveyed under subsection (c) and charged against the 
     remaining entitlement of the State under section 6(b) of 
     Public Law 85-508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood 
     Act'') (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21)--
       (1) the operation of the program established under 
     subsection (b) shall not diminish or alter the rights of the 
     State to receive the entitlement of the State in any way; and
       (2) the State may continue to pursue the transfer of the 
     remaining entitlement of the State under section 6(b) of 
     Public Law 85-508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood 
     Act'') (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21) at any time.
                                 ______