[House Report 119-281]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-281
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TO REMOVE RESTRICTIONS FROM A PARCEL OF LAND IN
PADUCAH, KENTUCKY
_______
September 15, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Westerman, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1276]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 1276) to remove restrictions from a parcel of
land in Paducah, Kentucky, 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 all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF RESTRICTION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this
section as the ``Secretary'') shall execute such instruments as may be
necessary to remove all deed restrictions from the parcel of land
described in subsection (d), subject to the conditions in subsection
(c).
(b) Deed Restrictions.--The deed restrictions referred to in
subsection (a) are those restrictions, including easements, exceptions,
reservations, terms, conditions, and covenants described in the
quitclaim deed from the United States to the City of Paducah, Kentucky,
executed on April 27, 2012, and recorded by the Clerk of the County
Court of McCracken County, Kentucky, on pages 247 through 260 of Deed
Book 1229.
(c) Conditions of Extinguishment.--In removing the deed restrictions
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall include a reservation
requiring that--
(1) the City of Paducah, Kentucky, not transfer or sell the
parcel of land to any other entity, except the Oscar Cross Boys
& Girls Club of Paducah;
(2) if the City of Paducah, Kentucky, transfers or sells such
parcel to the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club of Paducah, that
the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club of Paducah offers to convey
the parcel of land to the Secretary, without consideration,
prior to conveying the property to any other entity; and
(3) any new use or development of the parcel of land continue
to be compatible with public use or recreation purposes.
(d) Land Description.--The parcel of land referred to in subsection
(a) is the parcel--
(1) comprised of approximately 3.62 acres located at 2956
Park Avenue, on the Paducah Memorial Army Reserve Center,
Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky, including the improvements
thereon; and
(2) conveyed by the Secretary to the City of Paducah,
Kentucky.
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
The purpose of H.R. 1276 is to remove restrictions from a
parcel of land in Paducah, Kentucky.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
For more than six decades, the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls
Club of Paducah (Club) has provided a safe and affordable
environment in which the children of McCracken County can
recreate and receive valuable mentorship.\1\ The Club's
namesake, Oscar Cross, was a probation officer who sought to
provide young people with a valuable education outside of a
classroom setting.\2\ After seeing rapid growth in his original
organization, Cross rebranded it and received official
affiliation with the Boys and Girls Club of America in 1953.\3\
The federal government conveyed the Club's current site to the
City of Paducah (City) through the National Park Service's
(NPS's) Federal Lands to Parks Program, which allows
communities to acquire surplus federal properties for parks and
recreation.\4\ Under this program, nearly 184,000 acres of land
have been transferred to state and local governments.\5\
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\1\Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club of Paducah, ``About Us'', accessed
April 21, 2025, https://www.ocbg.club/about-us/.
\2\Id.
\3\Id.
\4\The Office of Congressman James Comer, ``Comer Introduces
Legislation to Remove Federal Government Restrictions on Paducah,
Kentucky, Property,'' February 13, 2025, https://comer.house.gov/2025/
2/comer-introduces-legislation-to-remove-federal-government-
restrictions-on-paducah-kentucky-property. National Park Service,
Federal Lands to Parks Program, ``Creating Local Parks and Recreation
Since 1949'', https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1508/index.htm.
\5\Id.
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After decades of serving the community, the Club is
pursuing a large-scale renovation to better serve its members,
including the addition of new classrooms and a refurbished gym.
The NPS still holds a deed restriction on the 3.62-acre parcel
of land, preventing full ownership by the City and standing in
the way of further development and improvements to the
property.\6\ For the renovation to occur, ownership of the
parcel must be transferred from the City to the Club, which can
be resolved only by removing the remaining restriction that the
NPS holds on the City's ownership.\7\
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\6\Jeremiah Hatcher, ``Comer talks Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club
land transfer Bill'', The Paducah Sun, February 25, 2025, https://
www.paducahsun.com/news/comer-talks-oscar-cross-boys-girls-club-land-
transfer-bill/article_99479980-5501-58bd-86bc-a4053c84c38e.html.
\7\Id.
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H.R. 1276, led by Representative James Comer (R-KY-01),
would remove the NPS deed restriction on the parcel, giving the
City full ownership of the property and the ability to promptly
transfer the land to the Club. Per the legislation, the
extinguishment of the reversionary interest is tied to the
condition that the parcel can be transferred to only the Club
and that the Club must offer the right of first refusal to NPS
in the event that the Club ever decides to sell the land.
Crafted in collaboration with local stakeholders, H.R. 1276
would eliminate an unnecessary federal barrier to the Club's
continued community investment and encourage new recreational
and educational opportunities. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is
leading companion legislation in the Senate.\8\
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\8\S.601, 119th Congress, https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-
congress/senate-bill/601/text?s=1
&r=8.
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COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 1276 was introduced on February 13, 2025, by
Representative James Comer (R-KY). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the
Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On April 29, 2025, the
Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing on the bill. On
June 25, 2025, The Subcommittee on Federal Lands was discharged
from further consideration of H.R. 1276 by unanimous consent.
On July 23, 2025, the Committee on Natural Resources met to
consider the bill. Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) offered an
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated
Westerman_033 ANS. The Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute
was agreed to by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was
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 on Federal Lands held on April 29,
2025.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Removal of restriction
Section 1 directs the Secretary of the Interior to remove
all deed restrictions from a 3.62-acre parcel of land conveyed
to the City by the NPS on April 27, 2012. The removal is
subject to the condition that the City must transfer the
property only to the Club and that the Club must offer the
property back to the Secretary before conveying it to any other
entity. Section 1 further dictates that any future use of the
land must be compatible with public or recreational purposes.
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.
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of House rule XIII and section
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and pursuant to
clause 3(c)(3) of House rule XIII and section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested
but not received from the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office a budgetary analysis and a cost estimate of this bill.
2. 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 remove restrictions from a parcel
of land in Paducah, Kentucky.
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
An estimate of federal mandates prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee, if such
estimate is not publicly available on the Congressional Budget
Office website.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any
directed rule makings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
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
As ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources,
H.R. 1276 would make no changes in existing law.
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