[House Report 106-226]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



106th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    106-226

======================================================================



 
            TRANSFER OF STEFFENS FAMILY PROPERTY IN WYOMING

                                _______
                                

  July 12, 1999.--Referred to the Private Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______


  Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 449]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(S. 449) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to 
the personal representative of the estate of Fred Steffens of 
Big Horn County, Wyoming, certain land comprising the Steffens 
family property, having considered the same, report favorably 
thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

                          purpose of the bill

    The purpose of S. 449 is to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to transfer to the personal representative of the 
estate of Fred Steffens of Big Horn County, Wyoming, certain 
land comprising the Steffens family property.

                  background and need for legislation

    The property outlined in S. 449 (about 80 acres) has been a 
part of the Steffens' family working farm since the land was 
purchased in 1928. Mr. Steffens was issued a warranty deed to 
the property by Mr. Frank McKinney. Apparently, however, Mr. 
McKinney had neither title to the property nor an assignable 
right of entry. In good faith, Mr. Steffens purchased the 
property and, according to the Big Horn County Assessor's 
office, paid taxes on it since the date of purchase.
    Upon Mr. Steffens' death, in an attempt to settle his 
estate, it was discovered that a patent had never been issued 
for these lands. Mr. Steffens' sister and representative of the 
estate filed a Color of Title application with the Bureau of 
Land Management's (BLM) Wyoming office, but the title was 
rejected because the lands at issue were, and continue to be, 
withdrawn by the Bureau of Reclamation for the Shoshone 
Reclamation Project. Regulations specifically preclude claims 
under the Color of Title Act when lands are withdrawn for 
federal purposes.
    The only option to remedy this situation is to pass S. 449. 
The bill transfers the title and surface estate to the 
Steffens. BLM will keep the mineral rights.

                            committee action

    S. 449 was introduced by Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY) on 
February 24, 1999. The bill was referred to the Senate 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources which reported the 
bill favorably without amendment on March 22, 1999 (S. Report 
106-32). The Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent 
without amendment on April 19, 1999.
    S. 449 was referred to the Committee on Resources on June 
17, 1999. The Committee ordered the bill favorably reported 
without amendment on June 30, 1999, by voice vote.
    S. 449 is identical to H.R. 509, introduced by 
Congresswoman Barbara Cubin (R-WY). H.R. 509 was referred to 
the Committee on Resources, which reported the bill favorably 
with a technical amendment on March 3, 1999, by voice vote (H. 
Report 106-67). The House of Representatives passed H.R. 509 on 
May 4, 1999, by voice vote.

            committee oversight findings and recommendations

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations 
are reflected in the body of this report.

                   constitutional authority statement

    Article I, section 8 and Article IV, section 3 of the 
Constitution of the United States grant Congress the authority 
to enact this bill.

                    compliance with house rule xiii

    1. Cost of Legislation.--Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and 
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be 
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) 
of that Rule provides that this requirement does not apply when 
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted 
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
    2. Congressional Budget Act.--As required by clause 3(c)(2) 
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this 
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    3. Government Reform Oversight Findings.--Under clause 
3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee has received no report of 
oversight findings and recommendations from the Committee on 
Government Reform on this bill.
    4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate.--Under clause 
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate 
for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                      Washington, DC, July 2, 1999.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 449, an act to 
direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to the 
personal representative of the estate of Fred Steffens of Big 
Horn County, Wyoming, certain land comprising the Steffens 
family property.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Victoria Heid 
Hall.
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

S. 449.--An act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to 
        the personal representative of the estate of Fred Steffens of 
        Big Horn County, Wyoming, certain land comprising the Steffens 
        family property

    S. 449 would direct the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Bureau of Land Management, to transfer without 
consideration about 80 acres of land in Big Horn County, 
Wyoming, to the representative of the estate of Mr. Fred 
Steffens. The federal government would retain the mineral 
interests in the land.
    CBO estimates that enacting this legislation would have no 
significant impact on the federal budget. Because S. 449 would 
not affect direct spending or receipts, pay-as-you-go 
procedures would not apply. S. 449 contains no 
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandate Reform Act and would have no significant 
impact on the budgets of state, local or tribal governments.
    On March 10, 1999, CBO prepared a cost estimate for S. 449 
as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources on March 4, 1999. The two versions of S. 449 
are identical, as are the two cost estimates.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Victoria Heid 
Hall. This estimate was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                    compliance with public law 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                preemption of state, local or tribal law

    This bill does not intend to preempt State, local or tribal 
law.

                        changes in existing law

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing 
law.

                                  
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