I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2546 

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 

APRIL 14, 2021 

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 purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘University of Alaska 

5 Fiscal Foundation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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1 (1) AVAILABLE STATE-SELECTED LAND.—The 

2 term ‘‘available State-selected land’’ means Federal 

3 land in the State that has been selected by the 

4 State, including land upon which the State has, 

5 prior to December 31, 1993, filed a future selection 

6 application under section 906(e) of the Alaska Na7 tional Interest Lands Conservation Act (43 U.S.C. 

8 1635(e)), but not conveyed or patented to the State, 

9 pursuant to Public Law 85–508 (commonly known 

10 as the ‘‘Alaska Statehood Act’’) (48 U.S.C. note 

11 prec. 21). 

12 (2) CONSERVATION SYSTEM UNIT.—The term 

13 ‘‘conservation system unit’’ has the meaning given 

14 the term in section 102 of the Alaska National In15 terest Lands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3102). 

16 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

17 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di18 rector of the Bureau of Land Management. 

19 (4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

20 of Alaska. 

21 (5) UNIVERSITY.—The term ‘‘University’’ 

22 means the University of Alaska, acting through the 

23 Board of Regents. 


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1 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT. 

2 The Secretary shall establish a program within the 

3 Bureau of Land Management— 

4 (1) to identify and convey available State-se5 lected land to the University to support higher edu6 cation in the State; and 

7 (2) to acquire, by purchase or exchange, Uni8 versity-owned land located within conservation sys9 tem units in the State. 

10 SEC. 4. IDENTIFICATION OF LAND TO BE CONVEYED THE 

11 UNIVERSITY. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 

13 date of enactment of this Act, the State and the University 

14 may jointly identify not more than 500,000 acres of avail15 able State-selected land for inclusion in the program es16 tablished under section 3, of which not more than 360,000 

17 acres may be conveyed and patented to the University. 

18 (b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Upon the request of 

19 the State and the University, the Secretary shall provide 

20 technical assistance in the identification of available State21 selected land for inclusion in the program. 

22 (c) MAPS.—As soon as practicable after the date on 

23 which the available State-selected land is identified under 

24 subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Com25 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 

26 and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 


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1 of Representatives 1 or more maps depicting the available 

2 State-selected land identified for conveyance to the Uni3 versity. 

4 (d) CONVEYANCE.—Subject to subsection (e), if the 

5 State and the University notify the Secretary in writing 

6 that the State and the University jointly concur with the 

7 conveyance of all or a portion of the available State-se8 lected land identified under subsection (a), and that the 

9 State relinquishes its selection rights to the land covered 

10 by the notification, the Secretary shall convey the applica11 ble identified available State-selected land to the Univer12 sity, subject to valid existing rights, in the same manner 

13 and subject to the same terms, conditions, and limitations 

14 as is applicable to the State under Public Law 85–508 

15 (commonly known as the ‘‘Alaska Statehood Act’’) (48 

16 U.S.C. note prec. 21) and other applicable law, to be held 

17 in trust for the exclusive use and benefit of the University, 

18 to be administered in accordance with section 6. 

19 (e) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.— 

20 (1) MAXIMUM ACREAGE.—Subject to paragraph 

21 (3), the Secretary shall convey not more than a total 

22 of 360,000 acres of available State-selected land to 

23 the University under this section, not to exceed the 

24 remaining entitlement of the State under Public 


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1 Law 85–508 (commonly known as the ‘‘Alaska 

2 Statehood Act’’) (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21). 

3 (2) LETTERS OF CONCURRENCE.—For purposes 

4 of subsection (d) and subject to the maximum acre5 age limitation under subsection (a), the State and 

6 the University may submit to the Secretary 1 or 

7 more joint letters of concurrence identifying parcels 

8 of available State selected land for conveyance as a 

9 subset of the total acres to be conveyed under this 

10 section. 

11 (3) ACREAGE CHARGED AGAINST ALASKA

12 STATEHOOD ACT ENTITLEMENT.—The acreage of 

13 land conveyed to the University under this section 

14 shall be charged against the remaining entitlement 

15 of the State under Public Law 85–508 (commonly 

16 known as the ‘‘Alaska Statehood Act’’) (48 U.S.C. 

17 note prec. 21). 

18 (4) SURVEY COSTS.—In accordance with Public 

19 Law 85–508 (commonly known as the ‘‘Alaska 

20 Statehood Act’’) (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21), the Sec21 retary shall be responsible for the costs of required 

22 surveys. 


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1 SEC. 5. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA INHOLDINGS WITHIN CON2 SERVATION SYSTEM UNITS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary or the Secretary of 

4 Agriculture, as appropriate, may acquire by purchase or 

5 exchange, with the consent of the University, University6 owned inholdings within conservation system units in the 

7 State. 

8 (b) APPRAISALS.—The value of the land to be ex9 changed or acquired under this section shall be determined 

10 by the Secretary through appraisals conducted— 

11 (1) in accordance with— 

12 (A) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for 

13 Federal Land Acquisitions; and 

14 (B) the Uniform Standards of Professional 

15 Appraisal Practice; and 

16 (2) by an appraiser mutually agreed to by the 

17 Secretary and the University. 

18 (c) EQUAL VALUE EXCHANGES.—For any land ex19 change entered into under this section, the Federal land 

20 and University-owned inholdings exchanged shall be of 

21 equal value. 

22 (d) PURCHASE ACQUISITIONS.—Pursuant to chapter 

23 2003 of title 54, United States Code, amounts in the Land 

24 and Water Conservation Fund established by section 

25 200302 of that title may be used for the purchase of UniVerDate Sep 11 2014 08:59 May 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2546.IH H2546

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1 versity-owned inholdings within conservation system units 

2 in the State under this section. 

3 (e) REQUIREMENT.—Any land acquired by the 

4 United States under this section shall be administered in 

5 accordance with the laws (including regulations) applica6 ble to the conservation system unit in which the land is 

7 located. 

8 SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION OF CONVEYED OR EXCHANGED 

9 LAND. 

10 All available State-selected land that is tentatively ap11 proved or conveyed to the University under this Act, and 

12 all land acquired by the University through an exchange 

13 under this Act, together with the income therefrom and 

14 the proceeds from any dispositions thereof, shall be admin15 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 SEC. 7. STATE AND UNIVERSITY PARTICIPATION. 

19 Nothing in this Act requires the State or the Univer20 sity— 

21 (1) to participate in the program established 

22 under section 3; or 

23 (2) to enter into sales or exchanges of Univer24 sity-owned inholdings within conservation system 

25 units under section 5. 


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1 SEC. 8. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION. 

2 Not later than 90 days after the date of any convey3 ance and patent to the University under this Act, the Sec4 retary shall notify the Committee on Energy and Natural 

5 Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural 

6 Resources of the House of Representatives of the land con7 veyed and patented. 

Æ 


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