[House Report 117-295]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Rept. 117-295
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { Part 1
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TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN PROPERTY TO THE TANANA TRIBAL
COUNCIL LOCATED IN TANANA, ALASKA, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
_______
April 25, 2022.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Grijalva, from the Committe on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 441]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 441) to provide for the conveyance of certain
property to the Tanana Tribal Council located in Tanana,
Alaska, and for other purposes, having considered the same,
reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that
the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 441 is to provide for the conveyance of
certain property to the Tanana Tribal Council located in
Tanana, Alaska.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
H.R. 441, as reported, would direct the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services to convey an approximately 11.25-acre
parcel of land to the Tanana Tribal Council via a warranty deed
for the purpose of expanding facilities and health services.
The Tanana Tribal Council is an Alaska Native tribal health
and social service consortium located in Tanana, Alaska that
provides outpatient services in interior rural Alaska. The
Tanana Tribal Council currently carries out self-determination
contracts and self-governance compacts under the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). Through
agreements and under ISDEAA, tribal entities have been granted
the right to acquire fee title to federal property for the use
of providing health care services.
Currently, conveyance requests through the Indian Health
Service (IHS) are processed under General Services
Administration (GSA) regulations that allow IHS to impose terms
and conditions in quitclaim deeds. These quitclaims designate
IHS as the sole source of funding available to tribal entities
to upgrade or construct facilities.
Conveying these lands to tribal entities by warranty deed,
as H.R. 441 would, allows the flexibility to use the property
to carry out health and social service programs, including the
ability to construct and expand new health care facilities.
Additionally, this parcel would be eligible for other funding
from non-federal sources and reimbursements from Medicare,
Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Since the Tanana Tribal Council is located in rural Alaska,
health care services are often underfunded and harder to come
by. This conveyance would allow the Tanana Tribal Council the
flexibility to build a new facility and expand health and
social services to their IHS beneficiaries, thereby increasing
the level of service offered.
As of the filing of this report, the Committee expects the
bill to be considered by the House on April 26, 2022, under
suspension of the rules, with an amendment to combine the text
of H.R. 441 with the texts of H.R. 442 and H.R. 443, both of
which were also introduced by Representative Don Young.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 441 was introduced on January 21, 2021, by
Representative Don Young (R-AK). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce. Within the Natural Resources
Committee, the bill was referred to the Subcommittee for
Indigenous Peoples of the United States. On October 5, 2021,
the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On January 19,
2022, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill.
The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous consent. No
amendments were offered, and the bill was adopted and ordered
favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous
consent.
HEARINGS
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure:
hearing by the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the
United States held on October 5, 2021.
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 AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:\1\
\1\The Congressional Budget Office has further estimated that the
suspension text for H.R. 441, which combines H.R. 441 with the texts of
H.R. 442 and H.R. 443, would not affect direct spending or revenues.
CBO, Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules, Week of
April 25, 2022, at 2 (2022), https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2022-04/
suspensions_week_of_April_25_2022_.pdf.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
H.R. 441 would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human
Services (HHS) to convey a parcel of land in Tanana, Alaska, to
the Tanana Tribal Council (TTC). The conveyance would be made
by a warranty deed, which is a type of deed that guarantees a
clear title to the new owner of the property.
The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
(ISDEAA) allows tribal entities to assume responsibility for
providing health care services that are funded by the Indian
Health Service (IHS). The TTC is a nonprofit health care and
social services corporation that operates facilities under the
ISDEAA in 39 communities throughout Alaska. According to IHS,
the TTC currently does not pay rent or any other remuneration
to IHS for the use of the land to be transferred. Consequently,
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 441 would not affect direct
spending or revenues and would have an insignificant effect on
spending subject to appropriation for IHS staff to facilitate
the land transfer.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Robert Stewart.
The estimate was reviewed by Leo Lex, Deputy Director for
Budget Analysis.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and
objectives of this bill are to provide for the conveyance of
certain property to the Tanana Tribal Council located in
Tanana, Alaska.
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.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT
According to CBO, this bill contains no unfunded mandates
as defined by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of
the federal government known to be duplicative of another
program.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing
law.
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SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS
None.
[all]