[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22281]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       SOUTHERN IDAHO BUREAU OF RECLAMATION REPAYMENT ACT OF 2006

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5666) to authorize early repayment of obligations to the 
Bureau of Reclamation within the A & B Irrigation District in the State 
of Idaho, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5666

       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 Idaho Bureau of 
     Reclamation Repayment Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. EARLY REPAYMENT OF A & B IRRIGATION DISTRICT 
                   CONSTRUCTION COSTS.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 213 of the 
     Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (43 U.S.C. 390mm), any 
     landowner within the A & B Irrigation District in the State 
     (referred to in this Act as the ``District'') may repay, at 
     any time, the construction costs of District project 
     facilities that are allocated to land of the landowner within 
     the District.
       (b) Applicability of Full-Cost Pricing Limitations.--On 
     discharge, in full, of the obligation for repayment of all 
     construction costs described in subsection (a) that are 
     allocated to all lands the landowner owns in the District in 
     question, the parcels of land shall not be subject to the 
     ownership and full-cost pricing limitations under Federal 
     reclamation law (the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388, 
     chapter 1093), and Acts supplemental to and amendatory of 
     that Act (43 U.S.C. 371 et seq.), including the Reclamation 
     Reform Act of 1982 (13 U.S.C. 390aa et seq.).
       (c) Certification.--On request of a landowner that has 
     repaid, in full, the construction costs described in 
     subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior shall provide 
     to the landowner a certificate described in section 213(b)(1) 
     of the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (43 U.S.C. 
     390mm(b)(1)).
       (d) Effect.--Nothing in this Act--
       (1) modifies any contractual rights under, or amends or 
     reopens, the reclamation contract between the District and 
     the United States; or
       (2) modifies any rights, obligations, or relationships 
     between the District and landowners in the District under 
     Idaho State law.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. 
Bordallo) 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. 5666, sponsored by our colleague, Mike Simpson, 
allows for the early repayment of capital costs associated with a 
Federal water project in Idaho. Under existing law, landowners who 
benefit from this water project cannot prepay the capital costs they 
owe to the Federal Government.
  This bill gives the Bureau of Reclamation the ability to accept 
prepayment from these landowners. This legislation benefits the 
American taxpayer because it allows early revenue to flow to the U.S. 
Treasury, and it helps local landowners by reducing their debt.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill because it is a commonsense 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation simply allows landowners to pay off 
their financial obligations for the Bureau of Reclamation's Minidoka 
Project. We believe that this legislation is appropriate and, in fact, 
may provide a slight financial benefit to the United States. Mr. 
Speaker, we have no objection to the enactment of H.R. 5666.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. 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 California (Mr. Radanovich) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5666, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds of those voting having 
responded in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as 
amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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