Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3620) to provide for the conveyance of certain property to the Southcentral Foundation located in Anchorage, Alaska, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3620, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3620, the Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025, sponsored by my colleague, Representative Begich of Alaska. This would transfer approximately 3.4 acres of Federal land in Anchorage, Alaska, to the Southcentral Foundation.

Southcentral Foundation is a tribally-operated health organization serving Alaska Native people under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. This parcel, currently owned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has housed Southcentral Foundation's behavioral health programs since 1994, for over 30 years.

However, the foundation does not currently hold title to the property. As a result, it cannot secure financing to improve or replace the aging facility, meaning that it cannot take full advantage of opportunities to expand mental health services for the Alaska Native population that it serves.

H.R. 3620 corrects this by conveying the land to Southcentral Foundation so it may move forward with plans to construct a modern behavioral health facility. The foundation has already coordinated with the municipality of Anchorage to rezone the land in anticipation of this project. Once the bill is signed into law, construction can and will begin immediately.

This is a commonsense measure that supports Tribal self- determination. It empowers a proven provider to serve its community with up-to-date infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Begich for introducing this bill and for his hard work and leadership on Alaska Native health issues. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3620, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC, December 8, 2025.

Hon. Bruce Westerman,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Westerman: I write regarding H.R. 3620, the

``Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025.'' While

there are provisions of the legislation that fall within the

Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce,

I wanted to notify you that the Committee will forgo action

on the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House

floor for consideration.

This is done with the understanding that the Committee's

jurisdictional interests over this and similar legislation

are in no way diminished or altered. In addition, the

Committee reserves the right to seek conferees on H.R. 3620

and requests your support when such a request is made.

I would appreciate your response confirming this

understanding with respect to H.R. 3620 and ask that a copy

of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the

committee report on the bill or in the Congressional Record

during consideration of the bill on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Brett Guthrie,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich), the lead sponsor of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3620 is a simple fix that will have a meaningful impact. By granting Southcentral Foundation title to the land it has used for decades, we are removing bureaucratic barriers and enabling the construction of a modern behavioral health facility.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3620 and help us take a small but significant step forward in improving behavioral health outcomes for our Tribal communities.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3176) to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to reauthorize the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3176, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3176, which will amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to reauthorize the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System, NVEWS.

First, I thank my colleague from Alaska, Representative Begich, for his efforts on this bill.

With over 130 volcanoes and volcanic fields, Alaska has more volcanoes than any other State, and more than 50 of those have been active in the last 300 years.

Volcanic hazards are difficult to estimate on a year-to-year basis, but when they occur, the results can be catastrophic. For example, the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980 caused more than $1 billion in damage. Adjusting for inflation, that figure would now exceed $4 billion.

Damage estimates for volcanic eruptions can swing wildly, depending on many factors, but are almost always severe, underscoring the need for early warning and monitoring.

Obviously, protecting human life is our paramount concern in monitoring volcanic activity, but it is not just people on the ground who are at risk. Aircraft that are flying within 1,000 miles of a volcanic eruption can experience damage if they are not made aware of the smoke. Volcanic eruptions can be detrimental, and even fatal, to passengers and crew.

The lives of families near erupting volcanoes are priceless, far surpassing the value of any damaged infrastructure. To protect those lives, we must be able to monitor volcanic activity effectively and broadcast early warnings of eruptions.

This is why Congress should reauthorize this critical program so that communities near volcanoes are provided ample time to react to an eruption and so that air traffic is warned of potential dangers.

The NVEWS Advisory Committee is integral to this program. It provides the Secretary of the Interior with information on current program activities and relevant research that may improve the program going forward.

The committee cannot meet while the program is unauthorized, however, so reauthorization is essential to get the committee working again.

While we cannot stop volcanic eruptions, we can take prudent steps to minimize damage and loss of life. That is precisely what this program is intended to do.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would again commend my colleague from Alaska (Mr. Begich) for working to pass meaningful legislation that can save lives.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3176, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3620, the Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025. This is a bill that reflects both common sense and compassion, and I am proud to sponsor it.

Southcentral Foundation is a nationally respected Alaska Native health provider, serving over 70,000 people with an integrated, culturally grounded model of care that works. Some of the buildings that they are using for behavioral health services, buildings like the Quyana Clubhouse, are aging, inadequate, and, in some cases, were never meant to facilitate medical services. One facility was literally a former morgue.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation enables something critically important, the ability to deliver modern mental health care in a space designed for healing and recovery.

In Alaska, we face real challenges. People dealing with serious mental illness are being served in locations that

were not designed for clinical care. That is unacceptable. They deserve better--safe, dignified, purpose-built treatment environments that reflect the seriousness of their needs and the inherent dignity of their lives.

H.R. 3620 clears the way for Southcentral Foundation to build that future. This bill transfers land already in use and allows Southcentral Foundation to make long-term investments in modern infrastructure. The bill supports Tribal self-determination, strengthens care delivery, and empowers a trusted partner to do even more for our communities.

This is a narrowly tailored, fiscally responsible bill with broad support. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in advancing this measure and helping more Alaskans get the care that they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3176, the bill to reauthorize the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System.

This is a program of national importance. Volcano monitoring strengthens safety and emergency preparedness across the country, from the Cascades to Hawaii to the Rockies, but there is no question that Alaska has the most at stake.

Our State is home to over 130 active volcanos, by far the largest concentration in the United States. These aren't isolated or dormant. Mount Spurr, just 80 miles from Anchorage, reached a yellow alert level due to elevated seismic activity earlier this year, and it is still listed as a very high threat by the most recent edition of the USGS National Volcanic Threat Assessment. If it erupts, as it did in 1992 and 1953, ashfall could shut down air traffic, damage critical infrastructure, and put lives at risk.

H.R. 3176 is a straightforward, 5-year reauthorization that keeps the program funded and operational. It maintains existing funding levels but provides the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners with the continuity that they need to monitor high-threat volcanos and coordinate real-time alerts with emergency responders.

Early warning is essential. It gives pilots time to reroute, gives communities time to prepare, and saves lives, especially in rural, high-risk States like Alaska where response logistics are already challenging.

This is a bipartisan, science-based system that works. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3176 and ensure that every community living in the shadow of volcanic risk has the tools to stay safe.

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

Mr. Speaker, under this bill, the Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025, title to the land where the Southcentral Foundation operates the Quyana Clubhouse and Intensive Case Management program would be transferred from the Indian Health Service to the foundation. This transfer would give the foundation the ability to invest in a new facility to house both of these vital programs.

The Quyana Clubhouse offers an integrated behavioral and primary care service day-treatment program, while the Intensive Case Management program provides community-based, nonclinical support.

By obtaining title to the land, the Southcentral Foundation will be able to construct a new facility to house both programs. This will allow for better care transitions and reduced transportation costs, and it makes it easier for thousands of Alaska Native people to access services.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bill to reauthorize the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System.

This program is essential to the public safety mission of the United States Geological Survey. Working in coordination with the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, NOAA, and FEMA, the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System helps us better forecast volcanic activity and prepare for emergencies. This forecasting helps save lives, protects property, and safeguards our infrastructure.

This program reflects that the Federal Government works best in coordination with the community, and it supports outside science and expertise. It works in partnership with local government and emergency managers, provides grants to universities and research institutions, and ensures that data is shared openly with the public. That means communities have the information they need when it counts the most.

The early warning system was first authorized through the bipartisan Dingell Act with a clear mission: to monitor, warn, and protect.

Since then, scientists have been able to expand our volcano monitoring program to ensure that every dangerous volcano in the United States is tracked at appropriate levels, allowing experts to issue timely and accurate warnings to protect communities from avoidable harm.

I am grateful for the bipartisan work my colleagues put into this bill to ensure that the program gets the funding it deserves. I am happy to support the continuity of this program, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.