[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 29094]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1545
  CLARIFYING ACREAGE FOR IRRIGATION WATER UNDER MISSOURI RIVER BASIN 
                                PROJECT

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3209) to amend the Reclamation Project Authorization Act of 
1972 to clarify the acreage for which the North Loup division is 
authorized to provide irrigation water under the Missouri River Basin 
project.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3209

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

     SECTION 1. CLARIFICATION OF ACREAGE FOR IRRIGATION WATER.

       Section 501 of the Reclamation Project Authorization Act of 
     1972 (43 U.S.C. 615dddd) is amended by striking ``fifty-three 
     thousand acres'' and inserting ``approximately 53,000 
     acres''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Napolitano) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).


                             General Leave

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3209 is a bill I introduced to clarify the amount 
of acreage for which the North Loup Division is authorized under the 
Missouri River Basin Project. This bill provides for a technical 
correction by inserting the word ``approximately'' on the amount of 
acreage authorized under the project.
  Under current law, irrigators must cite the specific amount of 
irrigated acreage served under the North Loup project. Conflicting 
Federal and State statutes for reporting irrigable service areas, 
conversion of irrigated ground to right-of-ways, land conservation 
programs and habitat easements are causing ever-changing and 
misunderstood adjustments to irrigated acreage. This bill allows for 
more flexibility in determining the amount of irrigated acreage.
  This is not a new concept and would bring consistency to the act, as 
well as to contracts between the irrigation districts and the United 
States. I urge my colleagues to support this noncontroversial bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3209 would make a minor change by requiring the 
North Loup Division of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program to deliver 
water to ``approximately'' 53,000 acres. Existing law, as was explained 
by my colleague, requires the project to deliver to exactly 53,000 
acres. Yet, the project does not annually deliver water to precisely 
53,000 acres.
  The bill is not controversial. I urge Members to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. OSBORNE. 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 Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3209.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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