[Senate Report 106-16]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




                                                        Calendar No. 41

106th Congress                                                   Report
  1st Session                    SENATE                          106-16

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                         RIO ARRIBA, NEW MEXICO

                                _______
                                

                 March 16, 1999.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______


  Mr. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 278]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which 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, reports favorably 
thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                         purpose of the measure

    S. 278, as ordered reported, would direct the Secretary of 
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to the 
county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico, land and facilities thereon 
known as the ``Old Coyote Administrative Site,'' a Forest 
Service administrative site.

                          background and need

    S. 278 directs the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Agriculture to convey land and facilities known as 
the ``Old Coyote Administrative Site,'' a Forest Service 
administrative site, to the county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico. 
The land to be transferred consists of one tract of 130.27 
acres, and another tract of 276.76 acres. Both tracts of land 
are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and were withdrawn 
from entry for Forest Service use. The buildings were vacated 
in 1993 when the Forest Service moved to its present location. 
The Coyote Station will continue to be used for public 
purposes, including a community center and a fire substation. 
Some buildings will also be available for the county to use for 
storage and repair of road maintenance equipment, and other 
county vehicles.

                          legislative history

    S. 278 was introduced by Senators Domenici and Bingaman on 
January 21, 1999. Except for one minor, technical change made 
in S. 278, an identical bill (S. 1510) was considered by the 
Committee during the 105th Congress. The Subcommittee on 
Forests and Public Land Management held a hearing on S. 1510 on 
March 25, 1998; and the bill was favorably reported, as 
amended, on May 13, 1998. The bill passed the Senate on July 
17, 1998, but no further action was taken in the House.
    At the business meeting on March 4, 1999, the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources ordered S. 278, favorably 
reported.

           committee recommendations and tabulation of votes

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open 
business session on March 4, 1999, by unanimous voice vote of a 
quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 278.

                      section-by-section analysis

Section 1. Old Coyote Administrative Site

    Section 1(a) states that the conveyance of property shall 
occur not later than one year after the date of enactment of 
this Act. The Secretary of the Interior shall convey to the 
county of Rio Arriba, New Mexico, subject to the terms and 
conditions stated in subsection (b), the land including all 
improvements on the land known as the ``Old Coyote 
Administrative Site,'' comprising one tract of 130.27 acres, 
and another tract of 276.76 acres.
    Subsection 1(b) clarifies that the consideration for the 
conveyance shall be: (1) an amount that is consistent with the 
special pricing program for Governmental entities under the 
Recreation and Public Purposes Act; and (2) an agreement 
between the Secretary and the county indemnifying the 
Government of the United States from all liability of the 
Government that arises from the property. This subsection also 
states that the lands conveyed by this Act shall be used for 
public purposes. Finally, this subsection requires that, if 
such lands cease to be used for public purposes, at the option 
of the United States, such lands will revert to the United 
States.
    Subsection 1(c) requires that land withdrawals under Public 
Land Order 3730 and Executive Order 4599 as extended in the 
Federal Register on May 25, 1989 (54 FR 22629) be revoked 
simultaneously with the conveyance of the property under 
subsection (a).

                   cost and budgetary considerations

    The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, March 10, 1999.
Hon. Frank H. Murkowski,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 278, a bill 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 Megan E. 
Carroll.
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

               congressional budget office cost estimate

S. 278--A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
        certain lands to the county 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 bill 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 on costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 
Purchase of this land would be voluntary on the part of the 
county.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan E. 
Carroll. This estimate was approved by Robert A. Sunshine, 
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                      regulatory impact evaluation

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out S. 278. The bill is not a regulatory measure in 
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or 
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals 
and businesses.
    No personal information would be collected in administering 
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal 
privacy.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the 
enactment of S. 278, as ordered reported.

                        executive communications

    On, March 8, 1999, the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of 
the Interior and the Office of Management and Budget setting 
forth Executive agency recommendations on S. 278. These reports 
had not been received at the time the report on S. 278 was 
filed. When the reports become available, the Chairman will 
request that they be printed in the Congressional Record for 
the advice of the Senate.

                        changes in existing law

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 278, as ordered 
reported.

                                
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