[House Report 112-220]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
112th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 112-220
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BOX ELDER UTAH LAND CONVEYANCE ACT
_______
September 23, 2011.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1258]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 1258) to provide for the conveyance of parcels
of land to Mantua, Box Elder County, Utah, having considered
the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and
recommend that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 1258 is to provide for the conveyance
of parcels of land to Mantua, Box Elder County, Utah.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act (H.R. 1258) would
provide for the conveyance of approximately 31.5 acres of
Forest Service land, without consideration, to Mantua, Utah,
solely for public purposes. Mantua is seeking these parcels for
expansion of a cemetery, and construction of a town hall and a
fire station. The current cemetery is expected to be at
capacity within five or six years and the current town hall is
located on land leased from the Box Elder school district.
The lands at issue are part of a larger (800 acre) gift
from Hans Rassmussen to the Forest Service, for $1, in the
1940s. There are no special activities occurring on these
National Forest Service lands. The lands are primarily open
grasslands surrounded by agricultural lands. Since 1992, Mantua
has provided, without cost to the Forest Service, all water
used by a local Forest Service campground. Mantua also
maintains, without cost to the Forest Service, all roads
accessing and within the Forest Service campground and other
local Forest Service recreation areas. The town would pay all
costs associated with any necessary land survey for the
conveyance. If the conveyed land were no longer used for public
purposes, it would revert back to federal ownership at the
option of the Secretary of Agriculture.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 1258 was introduced on March 30, 2011, by Congressman
Rob Bishop (R-UT). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee
on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On June 14, 2011,
the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
held a hearing on the bill. On July 20, 2011, the Full
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee
on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands was discharged by
unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, and the bill was
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by
unanimous consent.
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:
H.R. 1258--Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act
H.R. 1258 would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to
convey, without consideration, certain lands in Utah to the
town of Mantua. Based on information from the Forest Service,
CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would have no
significant impact on the federal budget. Enacting H.R. 1258
would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-
as-you-go procedures do not apply.
Under the bill, the Secretary would be required to convey
about 32 acres of land within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest
to Mantua, Utah. The conveyed land could be used by the town
for public purposes only and would revert to the federal
government if used for other purposes. The affected lands do
not currently generate offsetting receipts for the federal
government and are not expected to generate such receipts over
the next 10 years. Any costs associated with surveying the
lands prior to conveyance would be paid by the town.
H.R. 1258 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.
683, the Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act, as ordered
reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources on July 14, 2011. H.R. 1258 and S. 683 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, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase
or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. CBO estimates that
implementing the legislation would have no significant impact
on the federal budget. Enacting H.R. 1258 would not affect
direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go
procedures do not apply.
3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does
not authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives does not
apply.
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.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing
law.