[House Report 115-368]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { REPORT
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 115-368
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TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONVEYANCE TO THE STATE OF IOWA OF THE REVERSIONARY
INTEREST HELD BY THE UNITED STATES IN CERTAIN LAND IN POTTAWATTAMIE
COUNTY, IOWA, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
_______
October 24, 2017.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted
the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 2600]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 2600) to provide for the conveyance to the State
of Iowa of the reversionary interest held by the United States
in certain land in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and for other
purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon
with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do
pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF REVERSIONARY INTEREST REQUIRED.
(a) Conveyance.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall convey,
without consideration, to the State of Iowa the reversionary interest
held by the United States and described in the quit claim deed dated
April 13, 1998, instrument number 19170, as recorded in book 98, page
55015, in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
(b) Costs.--As a condition of the conveyance under subsection (a),
all costs associated with such conveyance shall be paid by the State of
Iowa, including the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment.
(c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the State of
Iowa should continue to provide information regarding the Lewis and
Clark National Historic Trail, the California National Historic Trail,
and the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 2600 is to provide for the conveyance
to the State of Iowa of the reversionary interest held by the
United States in certain land in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
On November 29, 1989, through Public Law 101-191, Congress
authorized the Secretary of the Interior to provide for the
development of a trails interpretative center in the City of
Council Bluffs, Iowa. Public Law 101-191 states that the
operating entity must operate and maintain the center and make
no major alterations without the written authorization of the
Secretary.
In 1995, the National Western Trails Center, Inc., donated
property to the federal government, and the National Park
Service (NPS) later constructed a trails center on the property
to interpret the history of the Lewis and Clark National
Historic Trail, the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, and
the Oregon National Historic Trail.
In 1998, the federal government donated the trails center
and surrounding property to the State Historical Society of
Iowa. Federal ownership was transferred to the State subject to
a reversion to the United States if the trails center is not
being used for the purposes specified in Public Law 101-191.
The deed also included the condition that ``the State of Iowa
shall make no major alterations of the structure or ground
without the express written authorization of NPS.''
Since 1998, the State of Iowa has owned and operated the
trails center. Presently, visitation at the center is very low,
the hours of operation are limited, and maintenance is falling
behind. The State of Iowa would like to remove the trails
center from its responsibility and possibly transfer the
property to the City of Council Bluffs for development. The NPS
currently does not own or directly manage any of the land
associated with Public Law 101-191, and it is the Committee's
understanding that the NPS does not have interest in taking
over operation of the trails center or ownership of the
property.
H.R. 2600 will convey the residual interest of the United
States to the State of Iowa to clear title to the land. The
State would pay the costs of the conveyance, including any
environmental assessment.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 2600 was introduced on May 23, 2017, by Congressman
David Young (R-IA). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee
on Federal Lands. On October 3, 2017, the Natural Resources
Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was
discharged by unanimous consent. Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT)
offered an amendment designated #1; it was adopted by voice
vote. No further amendments were offered, and the bill, as
amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by voice vote on October 4, 2017.
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:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, October 19, 2017.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2600, a bill to
provide for the conveyance to the State of Iowa of the
reversionary interest held by the United States in certain land
in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and for other purposes.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani
Shankaran.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall,
Director.
Enclosure.
H.R. 2600--A bill to provide for the conveyance to the State of Iowa of
the reversionary interest held by the United States in certain
land in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and for other purposes
H.R. 2600 would require the National Park Service (NPS) to
convey to the State of Iowa the reversionary interest held by
the United States in the Western Historic Trails Center in
Pottawattamie County. The State of Iowa has owned and operated
the center since 1998 and seeks to transfer the property to the
City of Council Bluffs.
CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would have no
significant effect on the federal budget. Under the bill, the
State of Iowa would be required to pay for costs associated
with the conveyance, including the cost of any environmental
assessments.
Enacting H.R. 2600 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO
estimates that enacting H.R. 2600 would not increase net direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 2600 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani
Shankaran. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
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 provide for the conveyance to the
State of Iowa of the reversionary interest held by the United
States in certain land in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
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. 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.
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.
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