[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 27539]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      SOUTHERN OREGON BUREAU OF RECLAMATION REPAYMENT ACT OF 2005

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4195) to authorize early repayment of obligations to the 
Bureau of Reclamation within Rogue River Valley Irrigation District or 
within Medford Irrigation District.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4195

       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 ``Southern Oregon Bureau of 
     Reclamation Repayment Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. EARLY REPAYMENT.

       Notwithstanding the provisions of section 213 of the 
     Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (43 U.S.C. 390mm), any 
     landowner within Rogue River Valley Irrigation District or 
     within Medford Irrigation District, in Oregon, may repay, at 
     any time, the construction costs of the project facilities 
     allocated to that landowner's lands within the district in 
     question. Upon discharge, in full, of the obligation for 
     repayment of the construction costs allocated to all lands 
     the landowner owns in the district in question, those lands 
     shall not be subject to the ownership and full-cost pricing 
     limitations of the Act of June 17, 1902 (43 U.S.C. 371 et 
     seq.), and Acts supplemental to and amendatory of that Act, 
     including the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (43 U.S.C. 390aa 
     et seq.).

     SEC. 3. LIMITATION.

       Nothing herein modifies contractual rights that may exist 
     between Rogue River Valley Irrigation District and Medford 
     Irrigation District and the United States under their 
     respective Reclamation contracts, or amends or reopens those 
     contracts; nor does it modify any rights, obligations or 
     relationships that may exist between the districts and their 
     landowners as may be provided or governed by Oregon State 
     law.

     SEC. 4. CERTIFICATION.

       Upon the request of a landowner who has repaid, in full, 
     the construction costs of the project facilities allocated to 
     that landowner's lands owned within the district, the 
     Secretary of the Interior shall provide the certification 
     provided for in subsection (b)(1) of section 213 of the 
     Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (43 U.S.C. 390mm(b)(1)).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. RADANOVICH. 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 California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4195, sponsored by our colleague from Oregon (Mr. 
Walden) allows for the early capital repayment costs of a Federal water 
project.
  Under current law, two of the three irrigation districts receiving 
water from the Federal Rogue River project cannot repay the capital 
costs that they owe to the Federal Government. This bill gives the 
Bureau of Reclamation the ability to accept prepayment from these two 
water districts. This legislation benefits the American taxpayer 
because it allows early revenue to flow to the U.S. Treasury and helps 
the local landholders by reducing their debt and onerous paperwork 
requirements.
  I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4195 will allow any landowner within the Rogue 
River Valley Irrigation District or the Medford Irrigation District to 
repay at any time the construction costs of the Federal Bureau of 
Reclamation project, from which the landholder receives irrigation 
water.

                              {time}  1430

  By prepaying their share of the remaining repayment obligation, 
landowners will be exempted from the acreage limitation and reporting 
requirements of reclamation law.
  We on this side of the aisle have no objection to enactment of H.R. 
4195.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I have no speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boozman). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4195.
  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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