[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 23734-23735]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             STANISLAUS COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, LAND CONVEYANCE

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 356) to provide for the conveyance of certain property 
from the United States to Stanislaus County, California, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 356

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

     SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF PROPERTY.

       As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Administrator of

[[Page 23735]]

     the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (in this 
     Act referred to as ``NASA'') shall convey to Stanislaus 
     County, California, all right, title, and interest of the 
     United States in and to the property described in section 2.

     SEC. 2. PROPERTY DESCRIBED.

       The property to be conveyed pursuant to section 1 is--
       (1) the approximately 1528 acres of land in Stanislaus 
     County, California, known as the NASA Ames Research Center, 
     Crows Landing Facility (formerly known as the Naval Auxiliary 
     Landing Field, Crows Landing);
       (2) all improvements on the land described in paragraph 
     (1); and
       (3) any other Federal property that is--
       (A) under the jurisdiction of NASA;
       (B) located on the land described in paragraph (1); and
       (C) designated by NASA to be transferred to Stanislaus 
     County, California.

     SEC. 3. TERMS.

       (a) Consideration.--The conveyance required by section 1 
     shall be without consideration other than that required by 
     this section.
       (b) Environmental Remediation.--(1) The conveyance required 
     by section 1 shall not relieve any Federal agency of any 
     responsibility under law, policy, or Federal interagency 
     agreement for any environmental remediation of soil, 
     groundwater, or surface water.
       (2) Any remediation of contamination, other than that 
     described in paragraph (1), within or related to structures 
     or fixtures on the property described in section 2 shall be 
     subject to negotiation to the extent permitted by law.
       (c) Retained Right of Use.--NASA shall retain the right to 
     use for aviation activities, without consideration and on 
     other terms and conditions mutually acceptable to NASA and 
     Stanislaus County, California, the property described in 
     section 2.
       (d) Relinquishment of Legislative Jurisdiction.--NASA shall 
     relinquish, to the State of California, legislative 
     jurisdiction over the property conveyed pursuant to section 
     1--
       (1) by filing a notice of relinquishment with the Governor 
     of California, which shall take effect upon acceptance 
     thereof; or
       (2) in any other manner prescribed by the laws of 
     California.
       (e) Additional Terms.--The Administrator of NASA may 
     negotiate additional terms to protect the interests of the 
     United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Lampson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Sensenbrenner).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on H.R. 356, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 356 requires NASA to convey property at the Ames 
Research Center to Stanislaus, California. NASA retains the right to 
use the property for aviation activities on mutually acceptable terms. 
The conveyance does not relieve any Federal agency of its 
responsibility for any environmental remediation of soil, groundwater, 
or surface water.
  NASA relinquishes legislative jurisdiction over the property to the 
State of California. Any additional terms may be negotiated by the NASA 
Administrator to protect the interests of the United States.
  The bill is sponsored by the gentleman from California (Mr. Condit). 
Last Congress, the Committee on Science supported this bill; and the 
House passed it. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to speak in support of H.R. 356. This bill was 
introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Condit). It has been 
favorably reported by the Subcommittee on Space.
  Basically, the bill would convey a piece of excess property currently 
owned by NASA to Stanislaus County, California. The property was 
previously owned by the Navy and then transferred to NASA. NASA 
currently has no use for the property. This bill does, however, make 
provision for NASA to retain the right to use the property for aviation 
activities under terms and conditions mutually acceptable to NASA and 
to the county. In addition, it should be noted that the conveyance does 
not relieve the Federal Government of any responsibility for any 
environmental remediation.
  This is a straightforward piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues 
to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 356, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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