[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3949-3950]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




ARBUCKLE PROJECT MAINTENANCE COMPLEX AND DISTRICT OFFICE CONVEYANCE ACT 
                                OF 2017

  Mr. WEBSTER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 132) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
convey certain land and appurtenances of the Arbuckle Project, 
Oklahoma, to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 132

       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 ``Arbuckle Project Maintenance 
     Complex and District Office Conveyance Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF MAINTENANCE COMPLEX AND DISTRICT OFFICE 
                   OF THE ARBUCKLE PROJECT, OKLAHOMA.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall, as 
     soon as practicable, convey to the Arbuckle Master 
     Conservancy District, located in Murray County, Oklahoma, all 
     right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
     Maintenance Complex and District Office, Arbuckle Project, 
     Oklahoma, consistent with the terms and conditions set forth 
     in the Agreement between the United States and the Arbuckle 
     Master Conservancy District.
       (b) Definitions.--
       (1) Agreement.--The term ``Agreement'' means the Agreement 
     between the United States and the Arbuckle Master Conservancy 
     District for Transferring Title to the Federally Owned 
     Maintenance Complex and District Office to the Arbuckle 
     Master Conservancy District (Agreement No. 14AG640141).
       (2) District office.--The term ``District Office'' means 
     the headquarters building located at 2440 East Main, Davis, 
     Oklahoma, and the approximately 0.83 acres described in the 
     Agreement.
       (3) Maintenance complex.--The term ``Maintenance Complex'' 
     means the caretakers residence, shop buildings, and any 
     appurtenances located on the lands described in the 
     Agreement, to include approximately 2.00 acres, more or less.
       (c) Liability.--Effective upon the date of conveyance of 
     the Maintenance Complex and District Office under this 
     section, the United States shall not be held liable by any 
     court for damages of any kind arising out of any act, 
     omission, or occurrence relating to the Maintenance Complex 
     and District Office, except for damages caused by acts of 
     negligence committed by the United States or by its employees 
     or agents prior to the date of conveyance. Nothing in this 
     section increases the liability of the United States beyond 
     that provided in chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code 
     (popularly known as the ``Federal Tort Claims Act''), on the 
     date of the enactment of this Act.
       (d) Benefits.--After conveyance of the Maintenance Complex 
     and District Office to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy 
     District--
       (1) the Maintenance Complex and District Office shall not 
     be considered to be a part of a Federal reclamation project; 
     and
       (2) such water district shall not be eligible to receive 
     any benefits with respect to any facility comprising that 
     Maintenance Complex and District Office, except benefits that 
     would be available to a similarly situated person with 
     respect to such a facility that is not part of a Federal 
     reclamation project.
       (e) Communication.--If the Secretary of the Interior has 
     not completed the conveyance required under subsection (a) 
     within 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary shall submit to Congress a letter with sufficient 
     detail that explains the reasons the conveyance has not been 
     completed and stating the date by which the conveyance will 
     be completed.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. WEBSTER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise an extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WEBSTER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  H.R. 132, sponsored by Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, conveys two 
buildings and two acres of land of the

[[Page 3950]]

Federal Arbuckle Project to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District, 
Oklahoma. The district has operated and maintained the project for 
decades, and completed repayment of its capital costs for the project 
in 2012.
  While noncontroversial, legislation is necessary in order to 
facilitate this and other Bureau of Reclamation title transfers. Under 
current law, these buildings and land remain in Federal ownership until 
legislation is enacted to transfer the title to the district. Mr. 
Cole's bill achieves this objective.
  This title transfer is a win-win for the district and for the Federal 
Government. The district will no longer be subject to certain Federal 
paperwork requirements, and the Federal Government will be relieved of 
all future liability and financial responsibilities associated with 
these facilities and land.
  I urge the adoption of this measure, which overwhelmingly passed the 
House on a bipartisan basis in the last Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 132, as the gentleman from Florida just mentioned, 
would allow a title transfer of two Federal buildings to the Arbuckle 
Master Conservancy District in south-central Oklahoma. These are 
buildings that were part of the Arbuckle Project, which is a water 
project authorized by Congress back in 1962 to provide flood control, 
recreational opportunities, and municipal water supply.
  Nearly all the facilities within this project were already 
transferred to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in 2012, after 
the district finish repaying what it owed to the Federal Government for 
construction. However, due to some overly narrow language in the 
legislation authorizing this project, two buildings have yet to be 
transferred.
  Transferring them will save taxpayers money that would otherwise be 
needed to operate and maintain these buildings. It will also relieve 
the Federal Government of any potential future liability associated 
with these buildings. It is a straightforward bill that should be 
quickly passed.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WEBSTER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).
  Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend for yielding.
  Before I begin my prepared remarks, I had no idea there was such 
interest in the Arbuckle watershed, but I am flattered and pleased that 
all of you are here for this important legislation.
  I rise in support H.R. 132, the Arbuckle Project Maintenance Complex 
and District Office Conveyance Act. This bill is straightforward. As 
has been mentioned, it is a land conveyance which has both Federal and 
local support.
  I would like to remind my colleagues this legislation was passed in 
the 114th Congress on December 7, 2016, by a vote of 412-1. Clearly, it 
was so good, everybody wanted it back again.
  H.R. 132 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
certain lands and buildings of the Arbuckle Project in Murray County, 
Oklahoma, to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District.
  In 1962, Congress authorized the payment of reimbursable costs for 
construction, operation, and maintenance of the Bureau of Reclamation's 
Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in south-central Oklahoma. The 
district completed repayment of the capital costs of the project in 
September of 2012.
  In accordance with the Bureau of Reclamation's policy framework for 
title transfer, in December 2014, the Bureau of Reclamation and the 
district executed an agreement to transfer, in fee title, certain 
facilities that could be more effectively and efficiently managed at 
the local level.
  The title transfer involves approximately 2.83 acres of land. On this 
land is a small house, associated structures, and the conservancy 
district's headquarters office building. The house and property are 
used to accommodate a district employee who maintains and inspects the 
dam and the pumping facilities. The headquarters office building is the 
base of operation for the district.
  This bill also divests the Federal Government of its responsibility 
and liability associated with the district's facilities. Reclamation 
and the district have worked cooperatively and successfully to address 
all of the elements necessary to bring this legislation forward and 
make this transfer proceed as smoothly as possible.
  I am pleased this bill is an agreement in which both the Federal and 
local interests are satisfied. I want to urge all of my colleagues to 
support this legislation once again.
  I want to again thank the chairman for his help in expediting this 
matter.
  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin).


                         Parliamentary Inquiry

  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Maryland will state his 
parliamentary inquiry.
  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, is it consistent with the rules of the House 
of Representatives for the Committee on Ways and Means and the Energy 
and Commerce Committee to be considering the American Health Care Act 
without a CBO score that would permit us to know how much this 
legislation will cost?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is asking the Chair a 
hypothetical question that is not pertinent to the business currently 
before the House.
  Mr. RASKIN. Well, I didn't think it was hypothetical. I move that the 
House do now adjourn.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the gentleman first yield back the time 
he was yielded for debate?
  Mr. RASKIN. Yes, I will.

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