[106th Congress Public Law 249]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


<DOC>
[DOCID: f:publ249.106]


[[Page 114 STAT. 619]]

Public Law 106-249
106th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Griffith Project 
  to the Southern Nevada Water Authority. <<NOTE: July 26, 2000 -  [S. 
                                 986]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Griffith Project 
Prepayment and Conveyance Act.>> 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Griffith Project Prepayment and 
Conveyance Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) The term ``Authority'' means the Southern Nevada Water 
        Authority, organized under the laws of the State of Nevada.
            (2) The term ``Griffith Project'' means the Robert B. 
        Griffith Water Project, authorized by and constructed pursuant 
        to the Southern Nevada Water Project Act, Public Law 89-292, as 
        amended (commonly known as the ``Southern Nevada Water Project 
        Act'') (79 Stat. 1068), including pipelines, conduits, pumping 
        plants, intake facilities, aqueducts, laterals, water storage 
        and regulatory facilities, electric substations, and related 
        works and improvements listed pursuant to ``Robert B. Griffith 
        Water Project (Formerly Southern Nevada Water Project), Nevada: 
        Southern Clark County, Lower Colorado Region Bureau of 
        Reclamation'', on file at the Bureau of Reclamation and all 
        interests in land acquired under Public Law 89-292, as amended.
            (3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Interior.
            (4) The term ``Acquired Land(s)'' means all interests in 
        land, including fee title, right(s)-of-way, and easement(s), 
        acquired by the United States from non-Federal sources by 
        purchase, donation, exchange, or condemnation pursuant to Public 
        Law 89-292, as amended for the Griffith Project.
            (5) The term ``Public Land'' means lands which have never 
        left Federal ownership and are under the jurisdiction of the 
        Bureau of Land Management.
            (6) The term ``Withdrawn Land'' means Federal lands which 
        are withdrawn from settlement, sale, location of minerals, or 
        entry under some or all of the general land laws and are 
        reserved for a particular public purpose pursuant to Public Law 
        89-292, as amended, under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of 
        Reclamation, or are reserved pursuant to Public Law 88-639 under 
        the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.

[[Page 114 STAT. 620]]

SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF GRIFFITH PROJECT.

    (a) In General.--In consideration of the Authority assuming from the 
United States all liability for administration, operation, maintenance, 
and replacement of the Griffith Project and subject to the prepayment by 
the Authority of the Federal repayment amount of $121,204,348 (which 
amount shall be increased to reflect any accrued unpaid interest and 
shall be decreased by the amount of any additional principal payments 
made by the Authority after September 15, 1999, prior to the date on 
which prepayment occurs), the Secretary shall, pursuant to the 
provisions of this Act--
            (1) convey and assign to the Authority all of the right, 
        title, and interest of the United States in and to improvements 
        and facilities of the Griffith Project in existence as of the 
        date of this Act;
            (2) convey and assign to the Authority all of the right, 
        title, and interest of the United States to Acquired Lands that 
        were acquired for the Griffith Project; and
            (3) convey and assign to the Authority all interests 
        reserved and developed as of the date of this Act for the 
        Griffith Project in lands patented by the United States.

    (b) Pursuant to the authority of this section, from the effective 
date of conveyance of the Griffith Project, the Authority shall have a 
right-of-way at no cost across all Public Land and Withdrawn Land--
            (1) on which the Griffith Project is situated; and
            (2) across any Federal lands as reasonably necessary for the 
        operation, maintenance, replacement, and repair of the Griffith 
        Project, including existing access routes.

Rights-of-way established by this section shall be valid for as long as 
they are needed for municipal water supply purposes and shall not 
require payment of rental or other fee.
    (c) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Within twelve months after the effective 
date of this Act--
            (1) the Secretary and the Authority shall agree upon a 
        description of the land subject to the rights-of-way established 
        by subsection (b) of this section; and
            (2) the Secretary shall deliver to the Authority a document 
        memorializing such rights-of-way.

    (d) Report.--If the conveyance under subsection (a) has not occurred 
within twelve months after the effective date of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report on the status of the conveyance.

SEC. 4. RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING CONTRACTS.

    The Secretary and the Authority may modify Contract No. 7-07-30-
W0004 and other contracts and land permits as necessary to conform to 
the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 5. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS AND FUTURE BENEFITS.

    (a) If the Authority changes the use or operation of the Griffith 
Project, the Authority shall comply with all applicable laws and 
regulations governing the changes at that time.
    (b) On conveyance of the Griffith Project under section 3 of this 
Act, the Act of June 17, 1902 (43 U.S.C. 391 et seq.), and all Acts 
amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto shall not apply to the 
Griffith Project. <<NOTE: Effective date.>> Effective upon transfer, the 
lands and facilities transferred pursuant to this Act shall not be 
entitled to receive any further Reclamation benefits pursuant to the Act 
of June 17,

[[Page 114 STAT. 621]]

1902, and all Acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto 
attributable to their status as a Federal Reclamation Project, and the 
Griffith Project shall no longer be a Federal Reclamation Project.

    (c) Nothing in this Act shall transfer or affect Federal ownership, 
rights, or interests in Lake Mead National Recreation Area associated 
lands, nor affect the authorities of the National Park Service to manage 
Lake Mead National Recreation Area including lands on which the Griffith 
Project is located consistent with the Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 
535), Public Law 88-639, October 8, 1964 (78 Stat. 1039), or any other 
applicable legislation, regulation, or policy.
    (d) Nothing in this Act shall affect the application of Federal 
reclamation law to water delivered to the Authority pursuant to any 
contract with the Secretary under section 5 of the Boulder Canyon 
Project Act.
    (e) <<NOTE: Effective date.>> Effective upon conveyance of the 
Griffith Project and acquired interests in land under section 3 of this 
Act, the United States shall not be liable for damages of any kind 
arising out of any act, omission, or occurrence based on its prior 
ownership of the conveyed property.

    Approved July 26, 2000.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 986:
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 106-717 (Comm. on Resources).
SENATE REPORTS: No. 106-173 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 145 (1999):
                                    Nov. 19, considered and passed 
                                        Senate.
                                                        Vol. 146 (2000):
                                    July 10, considered and passed 
                                        House.
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 36 (2000):
            July 29, Presidential statement.

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