[House Report 112-434]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


112th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     112-434

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TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN PARCELS OF LAND TO THE TOWN OF 
                               ALTA, UTAH

                                _______
                                

 April 16, 2012.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 684]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (S. 684) to provide for the conveyance of certain 
parcels of land to the town of Alta, Utah, having considered 
the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and 
recommend that the bill do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of S. 684 is to provide for the conveyance of 
certain parcels of land to the town of Alta, Utah.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Alta, Utah, is a small ski town that operates most of its 
municipal infrastructure on National Forest System land under a 
variety of special-use permits. S. 684 would convey the federal 
land--a maximum of two acres--under three municipal buildings 
to Alta to provide for greater certainty and flexibility in the 
maintenance and use of those buildings under the purposes 
specified in their current special-use permits.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    S. 684 was introduced on March 30, 2011, by Senator Mike 
Lee (R-UT). On November 2, 2011, the bill passed the Senate by 
unanimous consent. The bill was then referred to the House 
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On 
December 2, 2011, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. 
On February 29, 2012, the Full Natural Resources Committee met 
to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on National Parks, 
Forests and Public Lands was discharged by unanimous consent. 
Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) offered amendment designated 
.AM1 to the bill; the amendment was not adopted by voice vote. 
Congressman Grijalva offered amendment designated .AM2 to the 
bill; the amendment was not adopted by a roll call vote of 19 
to 25, as follows:


    Congressman Grijalva offered amendment designated .AM3 to 
the bill; the amendment was withdrawn. 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 Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) 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)(2)(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. 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:

S. 684--An act to provide for the conveyance of certain parcels of land 
        to the town of Alta, Utah

    S. 684 would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey, 
without consideration, certain lands in Utah to the town of 
Alta. Based on information from the Forest Service, CBO 
estimates that enacting the legislation would have no 
significant impact on the federal budget. CBO expects that 
enacting the legislation would increase direct spending; 
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. We estimate, 
however, that such effects would be negligible. Enacting the 
legislation would not affect revenues.
    Under current law, the Forest Service receives payments 
totaling less than $20,000 per year for easements on the 
affected lands. Under S. 684, those lands would be conveyed to 
Alta, Utah. Thus, CBO estimates that enacting the legislation 
would reduce offsetting receipts (a credit against direct 
spending) by less than $200,000 over the 2012-2022 period. 
Because the act would require the town to pay the 
administrative costs associated with the land conveyance, CBO 
estimates that implementing S. 684 would not have a significant 
impact on spending subject to appropriation.
    S. 684 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.
    On July 27, 2011, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 
684, a bill to provide for the conveyance of certain parcels of 
land to the town of Alta, Utah, as ordered reported by the 
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on July 14, 
2011. The two versions of the legislation are similar, and the 
CBO cost estimates are the same.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. The 
estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.
    2. Section 308(a) of 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 
revenues or tax expenditures. Under current law, the Forest 
Service receives payments totaling less than $20,000 per year 
for easements on the affected lands. Under S. 684, those lands 
would be conveyed to Alta, Utah. Thus, CBO estimates that 
enacting the legislation would reduce offsetting receipts (a 
credit against direct spending) by less than $200,000 over the 
2012-2022 period. Because the act would require the town to pay 
the administrative costs associated with the land conveyance, 
CBO estimates that implementing S. 684 would not have a 
significant impact on spending subject to appropriation.
    3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to provide for the conveyance of 
certain parcels of land to the town of Alta, Utah.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates as defined under 
Public Law 104-4.

                PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

    This bill is not intended to preempt any local or tribal 
law.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

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

                                  
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