[House Report 113-697]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


113th Congress }                                        {  Report
  2d Session   }        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES        {  113-697
                                                        

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                 SCHOOL DISTRICT 318 LAND EXCHANGE ACT

                                _______
                                

 December 22, 2014.--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 H.R. 4220]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 4220) to authorize the exchange of certain 
Federal land and non-Federal land in the State of Minnesota, 
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. 4220 is to authorize the exchange of 
certain Federal land and non-Federal land in the State of 
Minnesota.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 4220 provides for an equal value land exchange in 
Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The bill would convey 1.3 acres of 
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) land in exchange for 1.6 acres of 
land from the Minnesota Independent School District Number 318, 
including all structures currently occupying the properties.
    The federal parcel adjoins Robert J. Elkington Middle 
School and is used to store equipment and vehicles. Its 
proximity to the campus, as well as the security fencing, make 
it suitable for management by the School District. The non-
federal land to be exchanged is closer to the USGS Minnesota 
Water Science Center and has better access to that facility. 
School District 318 and the USGS have discussed exchanging 
these parcels of land for over a decade, and this legislation 
will finally resolve this matter.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 4220 was introduced on March 12, 2014, by Congressman 
Richard Nolan (D-MN). The bill was referred to the Committee on 
Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 
Subcommittees on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation and 
Energy and Mineral Resources. On November 19, 2014, the Full 
Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The 
Subcommittees on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation and 
Energy and Mineral Resources were 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.

            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. 4220--School District 318 Land Exchange Act

    H.R. 4220 would require the United States Geological Survey 
(USGS) to exchange, at the request of a school district in 
Minnesota, 1.3 acres of federal land for 1.6 acres of land 
owned by the district. Under the bill, if the value of the 
federal land exceeds the value of the lands owned by the 
district, the district would be required to make a cash payment 
to USGS to make up the difference.
    Based on information regarding the cost of conducting 
similar land exchanges and assuming the availability of 
appropriated funds, CBO estimates that implementing the 
legislation would cost less than $20,000. CBO also estimates 
that enacting the legislation would increase offsetting 
receipts, which are treated as reductions in direct spending; 
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However, we estimate 
that any increase in offsetting receipts under the bill would 
total less than $10,000. Enacting H.R. 4220 would not affect 
revenues.
    Formal appraisals of the properties that are the subject of 
this legislation have not been completed. Based on information 
regarding the value of similar parcels, CBO estimates that the 
affected land has values between $15,000 and $25,000. The 
parcel owned by the USGS contains a large machine shed. Based 
on information from the USGS regarding the age and condition of 
the shed, we estimate that the total value of the federal 
property would exceed the value of the land owned by the 
district by less than $10,000.
    H.R. 4220 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would benefit a school district in Minnesota. Any costs to the 
district resulting from the land exchange would be incurred 
voluntarily.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. 
This 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. Based on 
information regarding the cost of conducting similar land 
exchanges and assuming the availability of appropriated funds, 
CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost less 
than $20,000. CBO also estimates that enacting the legislation 
would increase offsetting receipts, which are treated as 
reductions in direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go 
procedures apply. However, CBO estimates that any increase in 
offsetting receipts under the bill would total less than 
$10,000.
    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 authorize the exchange of certain 
Federal land and non-Federal land in the State of Minnesota.

                           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.

                       COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

    Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that 
this bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any 
specific rule-making proceedings.
    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.

                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.