I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 477 

To amend section 7 of Public Law 100–515 (16 U.S.C. 1244 note) to 

promote continued use of the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory at Gateway National Recreation Area by the National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 10, 2019 

Mr. PALLONE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend section 7 of Public Law 100–515 (16 U.S.C. 

1244 note) to promote continued use of the James J. 

Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory at Gateway National Recreation Area by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. TRANSFER OF THE JAMES J. HOWARD MARINE 

4 SCIENCES LABORATORY. 

5 Section 7 of Public Law 100–515 (16 U.S.C. 1244 

6 note) is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting 

7 the following: 


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1 ‘‘(b) TRANSFER FROM THE STATE TO THE NA2 TIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

4 provision of law, or the provisions of the August 13, 

5 1991, Ground Lease Agreement (‘Lease’) between 

6 the Department of the Interior and the State of New 

7 Jersey (‘State’), upon notice to the National Park 

8 Service, the State may transfer without consider9 ation, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

10 Administration may accept, all State improvements 

11 within the land assignment and right of way, includ12 ing the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Labora13 tory (‘Laboratory’), two parking lots, and the sea14 water supply and backflow pipes as generally de15 picted on the map entitled ‘Gateway National Recre16 ation Area, James J. Howard Marine Science Lab17 oratory Land Assignment’, numbered 646/142,581A, 

18 and dated April 2018 (‘Map’) and any related State 

19 personal property. 

20 ‘‘(2) LEASE AMENDMENT.—Upon the transfer 

21 authorized in paragraph (1), the Lease shall be 

22 amended to exclude any obligations of the State and 

23 the Department of the Interior related to the Lab24 oratory and associated property and improvements 

25 transferred to the National Oceanic and AtmosVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:14 Jan 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H477.IH H477

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•HR 477 IH

1 pheric Administration. However, all obligations of 

2 the State to rehabilitate Building 74 and modify 

3 landscaping on the surrounding property as depicted 

4 on the Map, under the Lease and pursuant to sub5 section (a), shall remain in full force and effect. 

6 ‘‘(3) USE BY THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND AT7 MOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION.—Upon the transfer 

8 authorized in paragraph (1), the Administrator of 

9 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra10 tion is authorized to use the land generally depicted 

11 on the Map as a land assignment and right of way 

12 and associated land and appurtenances for continued 

13 use of the Laboratory, including providing mainte14 nance and repair, and access to the Laboratory, the 

15 parking lots and the seawater supply and back flow 

16 pipes, without consideration, except for reimburse17 ment to the National Park Service of agreed upon 

18 reasonable actual costs of subsequently provided 

19 goods and services. 

20 ‘‘(4) AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL

21 PARK SERVICE AND THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND

22 ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION.—Upon the transfer 

23 authorized in paragraph (1), the Director of the Na24 tional Park Service and the Administrator of the 

25 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 


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1 shall enter into an agreement addressing responsibil2 ities pertaining to the use of the land assignment 

3 within the Sandy Hook Unit of the Gateway Na4 tional Recreation Area as authorized in paragraph 

5 (3). The agreement shall prohibit any new construc6 tion on this land, permanent or nonpermanent, or 

7 significant alteration to the exterior of the Labora8 tory, without National Park Service approval. 

9 ‘‘(5) RESTORATION.— 

10 ‘‘(A) Notwithstanding any provision of the 

11 Lease to the contrary, if the State does not 

12 transfer the improvements as authorized in 

13 paragraph (1), and these improvements are not 

14 used as or in support of a marine science lab15 oratory, the State shall demolish and remove 

16 the improvements and restore the land in ac17 cordance with the standards set forth by the 

18 National Park Service, free of unacceptable en19 cumbrances and in compliance with all applica20 ble laws and regulations regarding known con21 taminants. 

22 ‘‘(B) If the National Oceanic and Atmos23 pheric Administration accepts the improvements 

24 as authorized in paragraph (1) and these im25 provements are not used as or in support of a 


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1 marine science laboratory, the National Oceanic 

2 and Atmospheric Administration shall be re3 sponsible for demolishing and removing these 

4 improvements and restoring the land, in accord5 ance with the standards set forth by the Na6 tional Park Service, free of unacceptable en7 cumbrances and in compliance with all applica8 ble laws and regulations regarding known con9 taminants.’’. 

Æ 


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