Committee Reports

113th Congress (2013-2014)

House Report 113-027

29-006

1st Session

113-27

--PASCUA YAQUI TRIBE TRUST LAND ACT

[To accompany H.R. 507]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 507) to provide for the conveyance of certain land inholdings owned by the United States to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 507 is to provide for the conveyance of certain land inholdings owned by the United States to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona.

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 507 directs the Secretary of the Interior to take two 10-acre parcels into trust for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona. Before the parcels can be taken into trust, however, the Tucson Unified School District will first need to relinquish its possessory interest in one parcel. The school district no longer needs the land, which it had previously received under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. The Secretary of the Interior will also need to approve a lease agreement between the Tribe and the School District for the construction and operation of a regional transportation facility on the Tribe's land.

Both parcels would be utilized as part of a golf course that is currently under construction. Neither parcel is necessary for the construction of the golf course, but if the Tribe does not acquire and use the parcels, the land will be orphaned and of relatively no use to either the Tribe or the United States.

As has become customary when taking land into trust, the bill includes language that prohibits any gaming on the two parcels to be taken into trust.

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 507 was introduced on February 5, 2013, by Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation. On March 20, 2013, the Full Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were offered to the bill, and the bill was adopted and ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.

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

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that Rule provides that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

H.R. 507--Pascua Yaqui Tribe Trust Land Act

H.R. 507 would require the Secretary of the Interior to place 20 acres of land into trust for the benefit of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona. Based on information provided by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), CBO estimates that implementing the bill would have no significant impact on the federal budget. Enacting H.R. 507 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.

Under the bill, BLM would be required to place 10 acres of land that is currently administered by the agency into trust for the benefit of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. In addition, if the Tucson Unified School District elects to relinquish its interest in 10 acres of land that it acquired from the federal government under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, management of those lands would revert back to BLM, and the Secretary would be required to place them into trust for the tribe.

Based on information provided by BLM, CBO estimates that any administrative costs to carry out the bill, which would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds, would be minimal. In addition, the affected lands do not generate any offsetting receipts for the federal government and are not expected to generate such receipts over the next 10 years.

H.R. 507 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. Enacting the bill would benefit the tribe.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. Based on information provided by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), CBO estimates that implementing the bill would have no significant impact on the federal budget.

3. 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 of certain land inholdings owned by the United States to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona.

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. The Chairman does not believe that this bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any specific rule-making proceedings.

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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