[House Report 106-418]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





106th Congress                                                   Report
  1st Session           HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                106-418

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             LAND CONVEYANCE, RIO ARRIBA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO

                                _______
                                

October 27, 1999.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union 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. 278]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 
(S. 278) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
certain lands to the county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico, having 
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment 
and recommend that the bill do pass.

                          Purpose of the Bill

    S. 278 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
certain lands to the county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    S. 278 directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey land 
known as the ``Old Coyote Administrative Site,'' a former U.S. 
Forest Service administration site, to the County of Rio 
Arriba, New Mexico. This site includes one Forest Service tract 
of 130.27 acres, and another tract of 276.76 acres owned by the 
Bureau of Land Management. Vacated in 1993 when the Forest 
Service moved to its present location, the site contains 
numerous buildings. These include a modular office constructed 
in 1974, two residences constructed in 1958, and eight other 
buildings.
    This legislation is patterned after Public Law 103-132, 
which directed the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer the Old 
Taos Ranger District Station to the town of Taos, New Mexico. 
As with the Taos Station, the Coyote Station will continue to 
be used for public purposes, including a community center and a 
fire sub-station. Some buildings will also be available for the 
county to use for storage and repair of road maintenance 
equipment and other county vehicles.
    The land conveyance will be consistent with the pricing 
program under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (the Act 
of June 14, 1926, 43 U.S.C. 689). The land must be used for 
public purposes and will revert back to the federal government 
if not so used.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    S. 278 was introduced on January 21, 1999, by Senator Pete 
Domenici (R-NM). On March 25, 1999, the Senate passed the bill 
without amendment by unanimous consent. The bill was then 
referred to the Committee on Resources, and within the 
Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public 
Lands. On October 6, 1999, the Full Resources Committee met to 
consider the bill. S. 278 was discharged from the Subcommittee 
on National Parks and Public Lands by unanimous consent. No 
amendments were offered. The bill was then ordered favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives 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, credit 
authority, or an increase or decrease in tax expenditures. 
According to the Congressional Budget Office, enactment of this 
bill would increase offsetting receipts and thus affect direct 
spending, but the receipts would total less than $5,000 in 
fiscal year 2000.
    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, October 13, 1999.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 278, an act to 
direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands to 
the county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico.
    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. 278--An act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
        certain lands to the county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico

    S. 278 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
about 407 acres of federal land to the county of Rio Arriba, 
New Mexico, to be used for public purposes. CBO estimates that 
enacting this legislation would have no significant impact on 
the federal budget. Because the county would pay for this land, 
S. 278 would affect direct spending by increasing offsetting 
receipts. Therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would apply. 
However, CBO estimates that the payment would total less than 
$5,000 in fiscal year 2000.
    S. 278 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 
Purchase of this land would be voluntary on the part of the 
county.
    On March 10, 1999, CBO prepared a cost estimate for S. 278 
as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources on March 4, 1999. The two versions of the 
legislation are identical, as are the cost estimates.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Victoria Heid 
Hall. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, 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 is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

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

                                

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