To convey for public purposes certain Federal lands in Riverside County, California, that have been identified for disposal.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 29, 2004, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on ``The 9/11 Commission and Efforts to Identify and Combat Terrorist Financing.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, September 29, 2004, at 3 p.m., to hold a hearing on Nominations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, September 29, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. in room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building to conduct a business meeting on pending Committee matters, to be followed immediately by an oversight hearing on Lobbying Practices Involving Indian Tribes regarding allegations of misconduct associated with lobbying and related activities.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, September 29 at 2:30 p.m.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 2378, to provide for the conveyance of certain public land in Clark County, NV, for use as a heliport; S. 2410, to promote wildland firefighter safety; H.R. 1651, to provide for the exchange of land within the Sierra National Forest, California, and for other purposes; H.R. 2400, to amend the Organic Act of Guam for the purposes of clarifying the local judicial structure of Guam; H.R. 3874, to convey for public purposes certain Federal lands in Riverside County, CA, that have been identified for disposal; H.R. 4170, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to recruit volunteers to assist with, or facilitate, the activities of various agencies and offices of the Department of the Interior; and Senate Resolution 387, a resolution commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space be authorized to meet on September 29, 2004, at 2 pm, on Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Exploring the Controversy.

Mr. Speaker, it has been my pleasure to co- sponsor Representative Bono's bill, H.R. 3874, which will enable the Palm Springs area to benefit from the conveyance of 44 acres of Bureau of Land Management land to Father Joe's Villages for the creation of a homeless shelter, a training center, and affordable housing for this area of Riverside County.

I have had the privilege of knowing Father Joe Carroll for many years in San Diego, where he has worked tirelessly to develop an extensive program of services for the homeless of all ages through the St. Vincent De Paul Village.

Often identified by the community for its Kitchen, which serves 4,000 meals a day, the center goes way beyond providing the homeless with food to offering dental, vision, and other health services. It also provides high school equivalency and computer training.

Helping the homeless find jobs not only includes coaching in job hunting skills and providing interview attire but begins with coordinating on-site psychiatric services to address some of the underlying needs of village members through volunteer professionals from the University of California San Diego.

The Center also provides for the 24-hour care of some 200 orphaned children, which includes meeting not only their food, clothing, housing, and health needs but also houses their public schooling.

The village offers courses in parenting, anger management, and counseling for unmarried couples with children as well as prenatal care. In sum, it invests in offering needy people full-life services both intensively and for an extended time to help them turn their lives around.

I know that with the decades of Father Joe Carroll's successful experience in San Diego, this opportunity to create a new service base in Palm Springs will be beneficial for the community.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The hearing will be held Wednesday, September 29, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 2378, to provide for the conveyance of certain public land in Clark County, NV, for use as a heliport; S. 2410, to promote wildland firefighter safety; H.R. 1651, to provide for the exchange of land within the Sierra National Forest, CA, and for other purposes; H.R. 2400, to amend the Organic Act of Guam for the purposes of clarifying the local judicial structure of Guam; H.R. 3874, to convey for public purposes certain Federal lands in Riverside County, CA, that have been identified for disposal; H.R. 4170, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to recruit volunteers to assist with, or facilitate, the activities of various agencies and offices of the Department of the Interior; and Senate Resolution 387, a resolution commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510-6150.

For further information, please contact Dick Bouts at 202-224-7545, Frank Gladics at 202-224-2878, or Amy Miller at 202-224-8276.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3874) to convey for public purposes certain Federal lands in Riverside County, California, that have been identified for disposal, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3874, the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3874, introduced by the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono), as amended by the Committee on Resources, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey 44 acres of Federal land identified for disposal in Riverside County, California, to Father Joe's Villages, a successful nonprofit organization that assists the homeless in California. Father Joe's plans to develop a comprehensive operation that will address both housing and training needs for the homeless in the greater Coachella Valley.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3874 is supported by the majority and minority of the Committee on Resources and by the administration.

I urge adoption of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from California's (Mrs. Bono) bill, H.R. 3874, would transfer a parcel of BLM land in North Palm Springs, California, to a charitable organization.

As the administration testified before our committee, the Federal Government would normally require some amount of compensation for a land conveyance such as this one, a requirement this legislation waives. However, it appears that, in this instance, making this conveyance free of charge may be in the best interests of the entire community.

Father Joe's Village has a long history of working in the community to address the problems of unemployment, substance abuse and homelessness. It is our hope that this conveyance will enable this organization to continue its fine work and expand whatever projects that are currently ongoing.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.