H.R. 542 – Dandini Research Park Conveyance Act

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health.

February 18, 2005

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 2, 2005

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Resources.

Natural Resources Committee

February 2, 2005

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health.

February 18, 2005

Floor Debate

3 members

What members said about H.R. 542 on the floor

2 Republicans1 Democrat

Rep. Jim GibbonsR-NV-2 · Sep 13, 2005

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 252) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land in Washoe County, Nevada, to the Board of Regents of the…

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 252) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land in Washoe County, Nevada, to the Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Madam 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 S. 252.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of Senate 252, the Dandini Research Park Conveyance Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Harry Reid and co-sponsored by Senator John Ensign.

I was proud to introduce the companion legislation in the House, and I am pleased to be here today to champion passage of this important bill.

This legislation will direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 467 acres of land in Washoe County, Nevada, to the Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

The land is patented under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, which now prevents the Board of Regents from expanding a university- sponsored research park that provides for technology transfer, science- based economic development, and partnering among academic, governmental, and industrial sectors in Nevada.

Known as the Dandini Research Park, the land is currently used by leading research and education institutions in Nevada, including the Truckee Meadows Community College and the Desert Research Institute.

The research being done by TMCC and DRI at the Dandini Research Park benefits not only Nevada but communities across the western United States. The science park stands as a great example of a successful public/private partnership that brings the highest quality researchers to this educational facility.

For example, DRI is a world-class nonprofit research campus of the Nevada Higher Education System, and their research is driven by a special emphasis in atmospheric, Earth and ecosystem, and hydrologic sciences.

Additionally, DRI has three state-of-the-art interdisciplinary centers for arid lands, watershed and environmental sustainability, and environmental remediation and monitoring.

DRI's research has helped provide innovative and important advancements in their field and has increased demand for their expertise. The state-of-the-art research being conducted at the Dandini site has resulted in the need to expand these facilities. However, since the University and Community College System of Nevada does not own the land of the Dandini Research Park, they are unable to obtain financing to expand the science center.

Today's bill allows for the transfer of this land to allow the Board of Regents to develop and expand the Northern Nevada Science Center. Additionally, the bill mandates that net proceeds of any future sale of this property would be returned to the Secretary of the Interior for use by the Bureau of Land Management.

The goal of much of the work being done at the Dandini Research Project is to provide innovative solutions to maintaining the vital balance between environmental protection and the development of our natural resources.

This work helps us to better understand how we can live in harmony with our environment.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to pass this noncontroversial bill that is supported by the entire Nevada delegation and which passed the Senate in July. This bill will allow Nevada's leading education and research institutes to continue to expand upon their great work on behalf of Nevada and this great country, as well as our environment.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Donna M. ChristensenD-VI · Sep 13, 2005

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.) Madam Speaker, before I speak to S. 252, I would just…

Rep. Jon C. PorterR-NV-3 · Sep 13, 2005

Madam Speaker would like to voice my strong support for

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 2, 2005

I

109th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 542

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 2, 2005

Mr. Gibbons introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land in Washoe County, Nevada, to the Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Dandini Research Park Conveyance Act.

2.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Board of Regents

The term Board of Regents means the Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

(2)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

3.

Conveyance to the University and Community College System of Nevada

(a)

Conveyance

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall convey to the Board of Regents, without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the approximately 467 acres of land located in Washoe County, Nevada, patented to the University of Nevada under the Act of June 14, 1926 (commonly known as the Recreation and Public Purposes Act) (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.), and described in paragraph (2).

(2)

Description of land

The land referred to in paragraph (1) is—

(A)

the parcel of land consisting of approximately 309.11 acres and more particularly described as T. 20 N., R. 19 E., Sec. 25, lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 11, SE 1/4 NW 1/4, NE 1/4 SW 1/4, Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada; and

(B)

the parcel of land consisting of approximately 158.22 acres and more particularly described as T. 20 N., R. 19 E., Sec. 25, lots 6 and 7, SW 1/4 NE 1/4, NW 1/4 SE 1/4, Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada.

(b)

Costs

The Board of Regents shall pay to the United States an amount equal to the costs of the Secretary associated with the conveyance under subsection (a)(1).

(c)

Conditions

If the Board of Regents sells any portion of the land conveyed to the Board of Regents under subsection (a)(1)—

(1)

the amount of consideration for the sale shall reflect fair market value, as determined by an appraisal; and

(2)

the Board of Regents shall pay to the Secretary an amount equal to the net proceeds of the sale, for use by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management in the State of Nevada, without further appropriation.