[Senate Report 106-248]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                       Calendar No. 467
106th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     106-248

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



 
                    OREGON LAND EXCHANGE ACT OF 2000

                                _______
                                

                 March 22, 2000.--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. 1629]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 1629) to provide for the exchange of 
certain land in the State of Oregon, having considered the 
same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and 
recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
    Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu 
thereof the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Oregon Land Exchange Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
          (1) certain parcels of private land located in northeast 
        Oregon are intermingled with land owned by the United States 
        and administered--
                  (A) by the Secretary of the Interior as part of the 
                Central Oregon Resource Area in the Prineville Bureau 
                of Land Management District and the Baker Resource Area 
                in the Vale Bureau of Land Management District; and
                  (B) by the Secretary of Agriculture as part of the 
                Malheur National Forest, the Wallowa-Whitman National 
                Forest, and the Umatilla National Forest;
          (2) the surface estate of the private land described in 
        paragraph (1) is intermingled with parcels of land that are 
        owned by the United States or contain valuable fisheries and 
        wildlife habitat desired by the United States;
          (3) the consolidation of land ownerships will facilitate 
        sound and efficient management for both public and private 
        lands;
          (4) the improvement of management efficiency through the land 
        tenure adjustment program of the Department of the Interior, 
        which disposes of small isolated tracts having low public 
        resource values within larger blocks of contiguous parcels of 
        land, would serve important public objectives, including--
                  (A) the enhancement of public access, aesthetics, and 
                recreation opportunities within or adjacent to 
                designated wild and scenic river corridors;
                  (B) the protection and enhancement of habitat for 
                threatened, endangered, and sensitive species within 
                unified landscapes under Federal management; and
                  (C) the consolidation of holdings of the Bureau of 
                Land Management and the Forest Service--
                          (i) to facilitate more efficient 
                        administration, including a reduction in 
                        administrative costs to the United States; and
                          (ii) to reduce right-of-way, special use, and 
                        other permit processing and issuance for roads 
                        and other facilities on Federal land;
          (5) time is of the essence in completing a land exchange 
        because further delays may force the identified landowners to 
        construct roads in, log, develop, or sell the private land and 
        thereby diminish the public values for which the private land 
        is to be acquired; and
          (6) it is in the public interest to complete the land 
        exchanges at the earliest practicable date so that the land 
        acquired by the United States can be preserved for--
                  (A) protection of threatened and endangered species 
                habitat; and
                  (B) permanent public use and enjoyment.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act--
          (1) the term ``Clearwater'' means Clearwater Land Exchange--
        Oregon, an Oregon partnership that signed the document entitled 
        ``Assembled Land Exchange Agreement between the Bureau of Land 
        Management and Clearwater Land Exchange--Oregon for the 
        Northeast Oregon Assembled Lands Exchange, OR 51858,'' dated 
        October 30, 1996, and the document entitled ``Agreement to 
        initiate'' with the Forest Service, dated June 30, 1995, or its 
        successors or assigns;
          (2) the term ``identified landowners'' means private 
        landowners identified by Clearwater and willing to exchange 
        private land for Federal land in accordance with this Act;
          (3) the term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Northeast 
        Oregon Assembled Land Exchange/Triangle Land Exchange'', dated 
        November 5, 1999; and
          (4) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as appropriate.

SEC. 4. BLM--NORTHEAST OREGON ASSEMBLED LAND EXCHANGE.

    (a) In General.--Upon the request of Clearwater, on behalf of the 
appropriate identified landowners, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
exchange the Federal lands described in subsection (b) for the private 
lands described in subsection (c), as provided in section 6.
    (b) BLM Lands To Be Conveyed.--The parcels of Federal lands to be 
conveyed by the Secretary to the appropriate identified landowners are 
as follows:
          (1) the parcel comprising approximately 45,824 acres located 
        in Grant County, Oregon, within the Central Oregon Resource 
        Area in the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land 
        Management, as generally depicted on the map;
          (2) the parcel comprising approximately 2,755 acres located 
        in Wheeler County, Oregon, within the Central Oregon Resource 
        Area in the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land 
        Management, as generally depicted on the map;
          (3) the parcel comprising approximately 726 acres located in 
        Morrow County, Oregon, within the Baker Resource Area if the 
        Vale District of the Bureau of Land Management, as generally 
        depicted on the map; and
          (4) the parcel comprising approximately 1,015 acres located 
        in Umatilla County, Oregon, within the Baker Resource Area in 
        the Vale District of the Bureau of Land Management, as 
        generally depicted on the map.
    (c) Private Lands To Be Acquired.--The parcels of private lands to 
be conveyed by the appropriate identified landowners to the Secretary 
are as follows:
          (1) the parcel comprising approximately 31,646 acres located 
        in Grant County, Oregon, within the Central Oregon Resource 
        Area in the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land 
        Management, as generally depicted on the map;
          (2) the parcel comprising approximately 1,960 acres located 
        in Morrow County, Oregon, within the Baker Resource Area in the 
        Vale District of the Bureau of Land Management, as generally 
        depicted on the map; and
          (3) the parcel comprising approximately 10,544 acres located 
        in Umatilla County, Oregon, within the Baker Resource Area in 
        the Vale District of the Bureau of Land Management, as 
        generally depicted on the map.

SEC. 5. FOREST SERVICE--TRIANGLE LAND EXCHANGE.

    (a) In General.--Upon the request of Clearwater, on behalf of the 
appropriate identified landowners, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
exchange the Federal lands described in subsection (b) for the private 
lands described in subsection (c), as provided in section 6.
    (b) Forest Service Lands To Be Conveyed.--The National Forest 
System lands to be conveyed by the Secretary to the appropriate 
identified landowners comprise approximately 3,901 acres located in 
Grant and Harney Counties, Oregon, within the Malheur National Forest, 
as generally depicted on the map.
    (c) Private Lands To Be Acquired.--The parcels of private lands to 
be conveyed by the appropriate identified landowners to the Secretary 
are as follows:
          (1) the parcel comprising approximately 3,752 acres located 
        in Grant and Harney Counties, Oregon, within the Malheur 
        National Forest, as generally depicted on the map;
          (2) the parcel comprising approximately 1,702 acres located 
        in Baker and Grant Counties, Oregon, within the Wallowa-Whitman 
        National Forest, as generally depicted on the map; and
          (3) the parcel comprising approximately 246 acres located in 
        Grant and Wallowa Counties, Oregon, within or adjacent to the 
        Umatilla National Forest, as generally depicted on the map.

SEC. 6. LAND EXCHANGE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

    (a) In General.--Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the land 
exchanges implemented by this Act shall be conducted in accordance with 
section 206 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 
1716) and other applicable laws.
    (b) Multiple Transactions.--The Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Agriculture may carry out a single or multiple 
transactions to complete the land exchanges authorized in this Act.
    (c) Completion of Exchanges.--Any land exchange under this Act 
shall be completed not later than 90 days after the Secretary and 
Clearwater reach an agreement on the final appraised values of the 
lands to be exchanged.
    (d) Appraisals.--(1) The values of the lands to be exchanged under 
this Act shall be determined by appraisals using nationally recognized 
appraisal standards, including as appropriate--
          (A) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land 
        Acquisitions (1992); and
          (B) the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.
    (2) To ensure the equitable and uniform appraisal of the lands to 
be exchanged under this Act, all appraisals shall determine the best 
use of the lands in accordance with the law of the State of Oregon, 
including use for the protection of wild and scenic river 
characteristics as provided in the Oregon Administrative Code.
    (3)(A) All appraisals of lands to be exchanged under this Act shall 
be completed, reviewed and submitted to the Secretary not later than 90 
days after the date Clearwater requests the exchange.
    (B) Not less than 45 days before an exchange of lands under this 
Act is completed, a comprehensive summary of each appraisal for the 
specific lands to be exchanged shall be available for public inspection 
in the appropriate Oregon offices of the Secretary, for a 15-day 
period.
    (4) After the Secretary approves the final appraised values of any 
parcel of the lands to be conveyed under this Act, the value of such 
parcel shall not be reappraised or updated before the completion of the 
applicable land exchange, except for any adjustments in value that may 
be required under subsection (e)(2).
    (e) Equal Value Land Exchange.--(1)(A) The value of the lands to be 
exchanged under this Act shall be equal, or if the values are not 
equal, they shall be equalized in accordancewith section 206(b) of the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1716(b)) or this 
subsection.
    (B) The Secretary shall retain any cash equalization payments 
received under subparagraph (A) to use, without further appropriation, 
to purchase land from willing sellers in the State of Oregon for 
addition to lands under the administration of the Bureau of Land 
Management or the Forest Service, as appropriate.
    (2) If the value of the private lands exceeds the value of the 
Federal lands by 25 percent or more, Clearwater, after consultation 
with the affected identified landowners and the Secretary, shall 
withdraw a portion of the private lands necessary to equalize the 
values of the lands to be exchanged.
    (3) If any of the private lands to be acquired do not include the 
rights to the subsurface estate, the Secretary may reserve the 
subsurface estate in the Federal lands to be exchanged.
    (f) Land Titles.--(1) Title to the private lands to be conveyed to 
the Secretary shall be in a form acceptable to the Secretary.
    (2) The Secretary shall convey all right, title, and interest of 
the United States in the Federal lands to the appropriate identified 
landowners, except to the extent the Secretary reserves the subsurface 
estate under subsection (c)(2).
    (g) Management of Lands.--(1) Lands acquired by Secretary of the 
Interior under this Act shall be administered in accordance with 
sections 205(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 
U.S.C. 1715(c)), and lands acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall be administered in accordance with sections 205(d) of such Act 
(43 U.S.C. 1715(d)).
    (2) Lands acquired by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to 
section 4 which are within the North Fork of the John Day subwatershed 
shall be administered in accordance with section 205(c) of the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1715(c)), but shall be 
managed primarily for the protection of native fish and wildlife 
habitat, and for public recreation. The Secretary may permit other 
authorized uses within the subwatershed if the Secretary determines, 
through the appropriate land use planning process, that such uses are 
consistent with, and do not diminish these management purposes.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.

                         purpose of the measure

    The purpose of S. 1629 is to provide for the exchange of 
certain lands in the State of Oregon.

                          background and need

    S. 1629 authorizes two exchanges of public and private 
lands in Oregon: the Triangle Land Exchange and the Northeast 
Oregon Assembled Land Exchange. Approximately 54,000 acres of 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service land is 
proposed to be traded for nearly 50,000 acres currently held by 
private landowners in northeast Oregon. The bill requires that 
the lands to be exchanged be of equal value, or equalized by 
cash payments or a reduction in the amount of private land 
acquired.
    Both the United States and the private landowners will 
benefit from this exchange. The BLM and Forest Service will 
acquire sensitive river corridors which will improve the 
efficiency of their protection efforts for threatened and 
endangered fish. Currently, many of these lands are 
intermingled with private parcels and make resource management 
difficult for the agencies. The improvement of fish-bearing 
streams and riparian areas is critical to the survival of many 
struggling species of fish in the Northwest.
    Communities and landowners will also benefit from these 
exchanges. The consolidation of ownership patterns and the 
release of previously inaccessible forest lands will boost 
local economies and enhance the ability of the private sector 
to manage its own lands.

                          legislative history

    S. 1629 was introduced by Senators Smith of Oregon and 
Wyden on September 23, 1999. The Subcommittee on Forests and 
Public Land Management held a hearing on S. 1629 on October 14, 
1999. At the business meeting on February 10, 2000, the 
Committee on Energy andNatural Resources ordered S. 1629 
reported favorably with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.

            committee recommendation and tabulation of votes

    The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 
open business session on February 10, 2000, by a voice vote of 
a quorum present recommends that the Senate pass S. 1629 if 
amended as described herein.

                          committee amendment

    During the consideration of S. 1629, the Committee adopted 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment makes 
several technical, clarifying, and conforming changes and is 
explained in detail in the section-by-section analysis below.

                      section-by-section analysis

    Section (1) contains the short title, the ``Oregon Land 
Exchange Act of 2000.''
    Section (2) contains congressional findings.
    Section (3) defines terms used in the Act.
    Section (4) requires the Secretary of the Interior, upon 
request of the Clearwater partnership, to exchange 
approximately 50,320 acres of Federal lands administered by the 
BLM for approximately 44,150 acres of private lands, as 
provided in section 6. The lands to be exchanged are identified 
on the referenced map.
    Section (5) requires the Secretary of Agriculture, upon 
request of the Clearwater partnership, to exchange 
approximately 3,901 acres of Federal lands administered by the 
Forest Service for approximately 5,700 acres of private lands 
as provided in section 6. The lands to be exchanged are 
identified in the referenced map.
    Section (6)(a) requires the land exchanges to be conducted 
in accordance with section 206 of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act and other applicable laws.
    Subsection (b) provides that any exchange of land may be 
accomplished in a single transaction or in phases.
    Subsection (c) requires completion of exchanges within 90 
days of an agreed upon appraisal.
    Subsection (d)(1) requires appraisals to be determined by 
recognized appraisal standards.
    Paragraph (2) requires all appraisals to determine the best 
use of the land in accordance with the law of the State of 
Oregon, including use for the protection of wild and scenic 
river characteristics.
    Paragraph (3) requires appraisals to be completed and 
submitted to the appropriate Secretary for approval no later 
than 90 days after the date Clearwater requests the exchange. A 
summary of each appraisal will be available for public 
inspection.
    Paragraph (4) requires that after the appropriate Secretary 
approves the appraised value of the land conveyed, the land 
shall not be reappraised or updated.
    Subsection (e) requires that the values of the offered land 
and the selected land shall be equal or if not equal, shall be 
equalized. Cash received by the Secretary may be used to 
purchase land from willing sellers.
    Subsection (g)(1) requires that the land acquired by the 
Secretary of the Interior shall be managed in accordance with 
laws and regulations applicable to Bureau of Land Management 
lands. The land acquired by the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
be manager in accordance with laws and regulations applicable 
to National Forest System lands, except lands within the North 
Fork of the John Day subwatershed shall also be managed 
primarily for fish, wildlife, and public recreation. Other uses 
may occur if the Secretary determines that such uses are 
consistent with, and do not diminish, these purposes. This 
requirement will provide additional protection beyond that 
provided in other applicable Federal land management 
regulations and statutes.
    Section (7) authorizes the appropriation of such sums as 
may be necessary to carry out this Act.

                   cost and budgetary considerations

    The Congressional Budget Office estimate of the costs of 
this measure follows:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, March 8, 2000.
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. 1629, the Oregon 
Land Exchange Act of 2000.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Victoria 
Heid Hall (for federal costs), and Marjorie Miller (for the 
state, local, and tribal impact).
            Sincerely,
                                          Barry B. Anderson
                                    (For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
    Enclosure.

S. 1629--Oregon Land Exchange Act of 2000

    CBO estimates that implementing S. 1629 would have no 
significant impact on the federal budget. Because the bill 
creates new direct spending authority, pay-as-you-go procedures 
would apply, but CBO estimates there would be no significant 
spending as a result of enacting this bill. The bill contains 
no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 
the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would have no significant 
impact on the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
    S. 1629 provides that upon the request of Clearwater Land 
Exchange--Oregon (an Oregon partnership), the Secretaries of 
the Interior and Agriculture shall exchange certain federal 
lands in the state of Oregon for certain private lands in the 
state. Specifically, the Secretary of the Interior shall convey 
about 50,320 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in 
exchange for about 44,150 acres of private land. In addition, 
the Secretary of Agriculture shall convey 3,901 acres of 
federal land within the Malheur National Forest in exchange for 
about 5,700 acres of private land within the Malheur, Wallowa-
Whitman, and Umatilla National Forests. Based on information 
from the two agencies, the exchanges could affect grazing 
allotments, but we estimate that any impact on grazing receipts 
would be trivial.
    S. 1629 would give the Secretaries the authority to retain 
any cash equalization payments received in these exchanges and 
to spend them, without further appropriation, to purchase other 
land in Oregon. The Secretaries do not have such authority 
under current law. Therefore, enacting S. 1629 could result in 
new direct spending if the private parties in these exchanges 
make cash equalization payments to the federal government to 
complete the transactions. According to BLM and the Forest 
Service, the land exchanges are intended to be of equal value 
and no cash equalization payments are planned. Based on that 
information, we estimate that there would be no significant 
direct spending under the bill.
    The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Victoria Heid 
Hall (for federal costs), and Marjorie Miller (for the state, 
local, and tribal impact). This estimate was approved by Peter 
H. Fontaine, 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. 1629.
    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 person 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. 1629, as ordered reported.

                        executive communications

    On February 10, 2000 the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources requested legislative reports from the Department of 
the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the Office of 
Management and Budget setting forth Executive agency 
recommendations on S. 1629. These reports had not been received 
at the time the report on S. 1629 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. The testimony provided by the Bureau of Land Management 
and the Forest Service at the Subcommittee hearing follows:

Statement of Carson (Pete) Culp, Assistant Director of Minerals, Realty 
           and Resource Protection, Bureau of Land Management

    Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I appreciate 
the opportunity to appear before you today to testify on S. 
1629, the Oregon Land Exchange Act of 1999. The Bureau does not 
support S. 1629, the Oregon Land Exchange Act of 1999 because 
we believe the exchange objectives discussed in this bill can 
be accomplished within existing administrative authorities and 
it is important to complete the public review process as part 
of our land exchange procedures.
    This land exchange was first identified in the BLM John Day 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) in 1984. In 1993, several 
private land owners identified an opportunity for consolidated 
land ownership. One of the larger property owners in the area 
began land exchange discussions with a third party facilitation 
organization known as the Clearwater Land Exchange. The initial 
proposal involved an exchange where the BLM would dispose of 
difficult to manage isolated lands, and in exchange would gain 
valuable stream side areas.
    As these proposals evolved, the Clearwater Land Exchange 
began to contact other area landowners to discuss the array of 
possible land exchanges with the BLM. Following a public tour 
in October of 1996, the BLM, in December of 1996, went forward 
with the notice of intent to develop an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for the exchange. After extensive public 
outreach to landowners, local communities, and tribal 
governments the BLM began work on the draft environmental 
impact statement, and in June of 1998, the final EIS was 
published. However, the public review process has not been 
completed regarding individual proposed land exchange 
transactions.
    In all, this proposed exchange involves the exchange of 
over 160,000 acres in multiple Oregon counties. The BLM would 
potentially transfer 90,000 acres of isolated public lands, and 
acquire 70,000 acres of private land with significant natural 
resource values thus creating an improved land ownership and 
management pattern in Northeast Oregon.
    As one can imagine, the sheet scope of the land exchange 
being discussed has resulted in a process containing a series 
of smaller and more manageable phases. Once the Record of 
Decision and public review process is completed, and assuming 
the NEPA documentation supports the decision to go forward with 
the exchange, the first phase would primarily involve lands in 
Grant, Wheeler, Umatilla, and Morrow Counties. Following the 
completion of the disposal of lands in the first phase, the BLM 
would continue the public review process for future proposed 
exchange transactions and with the help of the Clearwater Land 
Exchange work to exchange the remaining lands.


                               conclusion


    Mr. Chairman, these bills presented before you today are an 
indication that the public lands are becoming more and more an 
avenue by which many can benefit. With the amendments 
suggested, we are pleased to be able to support the local 
communities of both Landusky, Montana and Carson City, Nevada 
in providing land for their needs. We also support the tenets 
of the northeast Oregon land exchange proposal, however, 
without the use of legislation. We also look forward to working 
with the Westside Irrigation District to bring about an 
administrative solution to their rural needs. We would be happy 
to work with both the Oregon and Wyoming delegations to provide 
a solution.
    Mr. Chairman, I appreciate this opportunity to appear 
before the Subcommittee and discuss these bills. I will be glad 
to answer any questions.
                                ------                                


   Statement of Sandra H. Key, Associate Deputy Chief, Programs and 
         Legislation, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture

    Thank you for your invitation to testify at this hearing 
today on S. 1629, a bill to provide for the exchange of certain 
land in the State of Oregon. I appreciate the opportunity to 
join you today.
    We support the goal of completing the land exchange covered 
by Title II of S. 1629, known as the Triangle Land Exchange Act 
of 1999. The land exchange has been proceeding administratively 
and is well on its way to completion. We believe that this 
legislation is unnecessary, and that the exchange should be 
completed through the ongoing administrative process.
    Title II of S. 1629 deals with the Triangle land exchange 
involving the Forest Service and Clearwater Land Exchange-
Oregon (Clearwater), a third party facilitator acting on behalf 
of multiple private landowners. This exchange was first 
proposed in 1997, and involves approximately 5,700 acres of 
private land and approximately 3,901 acres of National Forest 
land on the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National 
Forests.
    The environmental analysis process was initiated for this 
exchange in August, 1997, and the environmental assessment was 
completed in April, 1999. Based on the analysis and public 
concerns raised during the process, as well as recent court 
rulings on land exchange cases, the Forest Service determined 
that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) would be required. 
We are now proceeding with completion of the EIS. While this 
will add time to the land exchange process, it will ensure that 
full public involvement and all significant environmental 
effects are addressed. We anticipate that a Record of Decision 
will be signed by August of the year 2000.
    The bill, as written, would require that the land exchanges 
be completed not later than 90 days after the date on which 
Clearwater, on behalf of the identified landowners, makes the 
Secretary an offer to exchange. We believe this timeframe would 
not allow for completion of the EIS, leaving the Agency more 
vulnerable to appeals and litigation that could further delay 
the exchange. We feel that the bill is unnecessary, and that 
the administrative process in place is working and should not 
be pre-empted by the timeline required in the bill.
    While we support the goals of the Triangle Land Exchange, 
we do not support S. 1629 as currently written, as we believe 
the bill is unnecessary and that the administrative process 
should be continued to complete this exchange.

                        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 S. 1629, as ordered 
reported.

                                  
