[House Report 105-35]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



105th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 1st Session                                                     105-35
_______________________________________________________________________


 
      RELEASE OF THE REVERSIONARY INTEREST--IOSCO COUNTY, MICHIGAN

                                _______
                                

 March 20, 1997.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

_______________________________________________________________________


 Mr. Smith of Oregon, from the Committee on Agriculture, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 394]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Agriculture, to whom was referred the bill 
(H.R. 394) to provide for the release of the reversionary 
interest held by the United States in certain property located 
in the County of Iosco, Micigan, having considered the same, 
report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that 
the bill do pass.

                           brief explanation

    H.R. 394 provides for the release of a reversionary 
interest held by the United States in 1.92 acres in real 
property in Iosco County, Michigan, in exchange for adequate 
consideration.

                            purpose and need

    H.R. 394 is intended to clear title on 1.92 acres in real 
property in order to facilitate a land exchange under the Small 
Tracts Act of 1983, P.L. 97-465, (16 U.S.C. Sec. 521c et. 
seq.). The 1.92 acres in real property was provided to Iosco 
County for an airport, but a reversionary interest was retained 
by the United States in the event the property was ever used 
for another purpose. Because of a survey error, the property 
has been in private use. The private party has agreed to 
provide real property of equal value to Iosco County in 
exchange for the 1.92 acres. A release of the reversionary 
interest held by the United States is necessary to carry out 
the exchange. The U.S. Forest Service may seek to acquire a 
reversionary interest in another piece of property owned by 
Iosco County in exchange for such release (See Congressional 
Budget Office letter dated March 13, 1997.)

                           section-by-section

    Section 1 requires the Secretary to release the 
reversionary interest of the United States in the 1.92 acres. 
Section 1 further provides a description of the property, leave 
for the Secretary to require additional terms in connection 
with the release to protect the interests of the United States, 
and a provision requiring the Secretary to execute and file 
necessary documents to effectuate the release.

                        committee consideration

    The Committee on Agriculture met, pursuant to notice and 
with a quorum present, on March 12, 1997, to consider H.R. 394. 
Chairman Smith recognized Mr. Combest, Chairman of the 
Subcommittee, who requested the Subcommittee on Forestry, 
Resource Conservation, and Research be discharged from further 
consideration of H.R. 394, and other legislation. Mr. Combest 
provided an explanation of H.R. 394, and there was no 
discussion or other comments. Mr. Combest moved that the bill 
be adopted and favorably reported to the House, and the motion 
was agreed to by a voice vote.
    The Committee then proceeded to other items of business.

                   reporting the bill--rollcall votes

    In compliance with clause 2(l)(2) of rule XI of the House 
of Representatives, H.R. 394 was reported by voice vote with a 
majority quorum present. There was no request for a recorded 
vote.

                        administration position

    Because H.R. 394 was identical to a bill, H.R. 2670, 
introduced by Mr. Barcia in the 104th Congress, reported to the 
House with an amendment on June 19, 1996, and adopted in the 
House on August 1, 1996, the Committee did not ask for a report 
from the Department of Agriculture on the bill. When H.R. 2670 
was considered during a Subcommittee business meeting on May 
30, 1996, the Department of Agriculture recommended enactment 
of H.R. 2670 if amended to provide for appropriate 
consideration for the release of the reversionary interest. 
Such an amendment was offered and approved during that business 
meeting.

           budget act compliance (sections 308, 403 and 424)

    The provisions of clause 2(l)(3)(B) of rule XI of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives and section 308(a)(1) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (relating to estimates of new 
budget authority, new spending authority, new credit authority, 
or increased or decreased revenues or tax expenditures) are not 
considered applicable. The estimate and comparison required to 
be prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
under clause 2(l)(3)(C) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and sections 403 and 424 of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 submitted to the Committee prior to the 
filing of this report are as follows:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, March 13, 1997.
Hon. Bob Smith,
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 394, a bill to 
provide for the release of the reversionary interest held by 
the United States in certain property located in the County of 
Iosco, Michigan.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Victoria V. 
Heid.
            Sincerely,
                                         June E. O'Neill, Director.
    Enclosure.

H.R. 394--A bill to provide for the release of the reversionary 
        interest held by the United States in certain property located 
        in the County of Iosco, Michigan

    H.R. 394 would release the reversionary interest in 1.92 
acres of property that the United States retained when it 
conveyed the property to Iosco County, Michigan, in 1960. The 
bill would allow the Secretary of Agriculture to require such 
terms or conditions in connection with the release as he 
considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United 
States. CBO estimates that enacting this bill would have no 
significant effect on the federal budget.
    According to the U.S. Forest Service, the agency may seek 
to gain the reversionary interest in another piece of property 
owned by Iosco County in exchange for release of the 
reversionary interest specified in this bill. Based on 
information from the Forest Service, CBO estimates that the 
administrative costs to process this exchange would be 
negligible.
    Because the bill would not affect direct spending or 
receipts, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply to the bill. 
H.R. 394 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact for the estimate is Victoria V. Heid. 
This estimate was approved by Paul N. Van de Water, Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                   constitutional authority statement

    Pursuant to clause 2(l)(4) of rule XI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee finds the 
Constitutional authority for this legislation in Article I, 
clause 8, section 18, that grants Congress the power to make 
all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the powers 
vested by Congress in the Government of the United States or in 
any department or officer thereof.

                          oversight statement

    No summary of oversight findings and recommendations made 
by the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight as provided 
for in clause 2(l)(3)(D) of rule XI, and under clause 4(c)(2) 
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives was 
available to the Committee with reference to the subject matter 
specifically addressed by H.R. 394.

                      committee oversight findings

    Pursuant to clause 2(l)(3)(A) of rule XI and clause 2(b)(1) 
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Agriculture's oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

                        committee cost estimate

    Pursuant to clause 7(a) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee report incorporates the 
cost estimate prepared by the Director of the Congressional 
Budget Office pursuant to sections 403 and 424 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                      advisory committee statement

    No advisory committee within the meaning of section 5(b) of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act is created by this 
legislation.

                applicability to the legislative branch

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 
104-1).

                                
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