Arbuckle Project Maintenance Complex and District Office Conveyance Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend for yielding.

Before I begin my prepared remarks, I had no idea there was such interest in the Arbuckle watershed, but I am flattered and pleased that all of you are here for this important legislation.

I rise in support H.R. 132, the Arbuckle Project Maintenance Complex and District Office Conveyance Act. This bill is straightforward. As has been mentioned, it is a land conveyance which has both Federal and local support.

I would like to remind my colleagues this legislation was passed in the 114th Congress on December 7, 2016, by a vote of 412-1. Clearly, it was so good, everybody wanted it back again.

H.R. 132 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands and buildings of the Arbuckle Project in Murray County, Oklahoma, to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District.

In 1962, Congress authorized the payment of reimbursable costs for construction, operation, and maintenance of the Bureau of Reclamation's Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in south-central Oklahoma. The district completed repayment of the capital costs of the project in September of 2012.

In accordance with the Bureau of Reclamation's policy framework for title transfer, in December 2014, the Bureau of Reclamation and the district executed an agreement to transfer, in fee title, certain facilities that could be more effectively and efficiently managed at the local level.

The title transfer involves approximately 2.83 acres of land. On this land is a small house, associated structures, and the conservancy district's headquarters office building. The house and property are used to accommodate a district employee who maintains and inspects the dam and the pumping facilities. The headquarters office building is the base of operation for the district.

This bill also divests the Federal Government of its responsibility and liability associated with the district's facilities. Reclamation and the district have worked cooperatively and successfully to address all of the elements necessary to bring this legislation forward and make this transfer proceed as smoothly as possible.

I am pleased this bill is an agreement in which both the Federal and local interests are satisfied. I want to urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation once again.

I want to again thank the chairman for his help in expediting this matter.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 132) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land and appurtenances of the Arbuckle Project, Oklahoma, to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise an extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

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

H.R. 132, sponsored by Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, conveys two buildings and two acres of land of the Federal Arbuckle Project to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District, Oklahoma. The district has operated and maintained the project for decades, and completed repayment of its capital costs for the project in 2012.

While noncontroversial, legislation is necessary in order to facilitate this and other Bureau of Reclamation title transfers. Under current law, these buildings and land remain in Federal ownership until legislation is enacted to transfer the title to the district. Mr. Cole's bill achieves this objective.

This title transfer is a win-win for the district and for the Federal Government. The district will no longer be subject to certain Federal paperwork requirements, and the Federal Government will be relieved of all future liability and financial responsibilities associated with these facilities and land.

I urge the adoption of this measure, which overwhelmingly passed the House on a bipartisan basis in the last Congress.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).

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

H.R. 132, sponsored by Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, conveys two buildings and two acres of land of the federal Arbuckle Project to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in Oklahoma. The district has operated and maintained the project for decades, and completed repayment of its capital costs for the project in 2012.

While non-controversial, legislation is necessary in order to facilitate this and other Bureau of Reclamation title transfers. Under current law, these buildings and land remain in federal ownership until legislation is enacted to transfer the title to the District. Mr. Cole's bill achieves this objective.

This title transfer is a win-win for the District and the federal government. The District will no longer be subject to certain federal paperwork requirements and the federal government will be relieved of all future liability and financial responsibilities associated with these facilities and land.

I urge adoption of the measure, which overwhelmingly passed the House on a bipartisan basis in the last Congress.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 132, as the gentleman from Florida just mentioned, would allow a title transfer of two Federal buildings to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in south-central Oklahoma. These are buildings that were part of the Arbuckle Project, which is a water project authorized by Congress back in 1962 to provide flood control, recreational opportunities, and municipal water supply.

Nearly all the facilities within this project were already transferred to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in 2012, after the district finish repaying what it owed to the Federal Government for construction. However, due to some overly narrow language in the legislation authorizing this project, two buildings have yet to be transferred.

Transferring them will save taxpayers money that would otherwise be

needed to operate and maintain these buildings. It will also relieve the Federal Government of any potential future liability associated with these buildings. It is a straightforward bill that should be quickly passed.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin).

Parliamentary Inquiry

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 132 would allow a title transfer of two Federal buildings to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in south central Oklahoma. These buildings are part of the Arbuckle Project, which is a water project authorized by Congress in 1962 to provide flood control, recreational opportunities, and municipal water supply.

Nearly all of the facilities within the Arbuckle Project were already transferred to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in 2012 after the district finished repaying what it owed the Federal Government for construction. However, due to some overly narrow language in the legislation authorizing the Arbuckle Project, two buildings within the project have yet to be transferred.

Transferring the two remaining buildings will save taxpayer money that would otherwise be needed to operate and maintain the buildings and will also relieve the Federal Government of any potential future liability associated with the buildings. This is straightforward legislation that should be quickly passed.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.