University of Alaska Fiscal Foundation Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8398 To provide for the continuation of higher education through the conveyance to the University of Alaska of certain public land in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 Mr. YOUNG introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To provide for the continuation of higher education through the conveyance to the University of Alaska of certain public land in the State of Alaska, and for other pur- poses. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘University of Alaska 4 Fiscal Foundation Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 6 The purpose of this Act is to establish a program 7 within the Department of the Interior to fulfill the com- 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:45 Oct 21, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8398.IH H8398 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8398 IH mitment of Congress to establish the University of Alaska 1 as a land grant university with holdings sufficient to facili- 2 tate operation and maintenance of a university system for 3 the State of Alaska. 4 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 5 In this Act: 6 (1) AVAILABLE STATE SELECTED LAND.—The 7 term ‘‘available State selected land’’ means Federal 8 land in the State that has been selected by the 9 State, including top-filed land, but not conveyed or 10 patented to the State, pursuant to Public Law 85– 11 508 (commonly known as the ‘‘Alaska Statehood 12 Act’’) (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21). 13 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 14 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di- 15 rector of the Bureau of Land Management. 16 (3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 17 of Alaska. 18 (4) UNIVERSITY.—The term ‘‘University’’ 19 means the University of Alaska. 20 SEC. 4. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA LAND GRANT. 21 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 22 a program within the Bureau of Land Management to 23 identify and convey available State selected land to the 24 University for a land grant to support higher education. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:45 Oct 21, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8398.IH H8398 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8398 IH (b) IDENTIFICATION OF AVAILABLE STATE SE- 1 LECTED LAND.— 2 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 3 the date of enactment of this Act, the State and the 4 University may jointly identify not more than 5 500,000 acres of available State selected land for in- 6 clusion in the program established under subsection 7 (a) for conveyance and patent to the University. 8 (2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Upon the re- 9 quest of the State and the University, the Secretary 10 shall provide technical assistance in the identifica- 11 tion of available State selected land for inclusion in 12 the program. 13 (3) SURVEY.—Upon notification that the State 14 and the University have identified available State se- 15 lected land for conveyance under paragraph (1), the 16 Secretary shall expeditiously survey the available 17 State selected land. 18 (4) MAPS.—As soon as practicable after the 19 date on which the available State selected land is 20 identified for conveyance under paragraph (1), the 21 Secretary shall submit to Congress 1 or more maps 22 depicting the available State selected land identified 23 for conveyance under that paragraph. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:45 Oct 21, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8398.IH H8398 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8398 IH (c) STATE AND UNIVERSITY CONCURRENCE; CON- 1 VEYANCES.—Subject to subsection (e), if the State and 2 the University submit to the Secretary 1 or more joint 3 letters stating that the State and the University concur 4 with the conveyance of all or a portion of the available 5 State selected land identified for conveyance under sub- 6 section (b)(1), the Secretary shall convey to the Board of 7 Regents of the University, subject to valid existing rights, 8 the applicable identified available State selected land, to 9 be held in trust for the exclusive use and benefit of the 10 University. 11 (d) ADMINISTRATION OF CONVEYED LAND.—All 12 available State selected land conveyed to the University 13 under this Act, together with the income therefrom and 14 the proceeds from any dispositions thereof, shall be admin- 15 istered by the University in trust to meet the necessary 16 expenses of higher education programs, similar to prior 17 Federal land grants to the University. 18 (e) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.— 19 (1) MAXIMUM ACREAGE.—The Secretary shall 20 convey not more than a total of 360,000 acres of 21 available State selected land to the University under 22 this Act. 23 (2) LETTERS OF CONCURRENCE.—For purposes 24 of subsection (c) and subject to the maximum acre- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:45 Oct 21, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8398.IH H8398 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 8398 IH age limitation under paragraph (1), the State and 1 the University may submit to the Secretary 1 or 2 more joint letters of concurrence identifying parcels 3 of available State selected land for conveyance as a 4 subset of the total acres to be conveyed under this 5 Act. 6 (3) ACREAGE CHARGED AGAINST ALASKA 7 STATEHOOD ACT ENTITLEMENT.—The total acreage 8 of all parcels of available State selected land con- 9 veyed to the University under this Act shall be 10 charged against the remaining entitlement of the 11 State under Public Law 85–508 (commonly known 12 as the ‘‘Alaska Statehood Act’’) (48 U.S.C. note 13 prec. 21). 14 (4) SURVEY COSTS.—In accordance with Public 15 Law 85–508 (commonly known as the ‘‘Alaska 16 Statehood Act’’) (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21), the Sec- 17 retary shall be responsible for the costs of the survey 18 under subsection (b)(3). 19 (f) INTENT OF CONGRESS.—It is the intent of Con- 20 gress that any conveyance requested through a joint letter 21 of concurrence under subsection (c) be finalized not later 22 than 1 year after the date on which the letter is received 23 by the Secretary. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:45 Oct 21, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8398.IH H8398 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 8398 IH (g) STATE AND UNIVERSITY PARTICIPATION.—Noth- 1 ing in this Act requires the State or the University— 2 (1) to participate in the program established 3 under subsection (a); or 4 (2) to submit joint letters of concurrence under 5 subsection (c) or (e)(2). 6 SEC. 5. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION. 7 On conveyance and patent to the University of the 8 available State selected land under this Act, the Secretary 9 shall notify the Committee on Energy and Natural Re- 10 sources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Re- 11 sources of the House of Representatives of the conveyance. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:45 Oct 21, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8398.IH H8398 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS