S. 986

One Hundred Sixth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,

the twenty-fourth day of January, two thousand

An Act

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Griffith Project to the Southern

Nevada Water Authority.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Griffith Project Prepayment

and Conveyance Act’’.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) The term ‘‘Authority’’ means the Southern Nevada

Water Authority, organized under the laws of the State of

Nevada.

(2) The term ‘‘Griffith Project’’ means the Robert B. Griffith

Water Project, authorized by and constructed pursuant to the

Southern Nevada Water Project Act, Public Law 89–292, as

amended (commonly known as the ‘‘Southern Nevada Water

Project Act’’) (79 Stat. 1068), including pipelines, conduits,

pumping plants, intake facilities, aqueducts, laterals, water

storage and regulatory facilities, electric substations, and

related works and improvements listed pursuant to ‘‘Robert

B. Griffith Water Project (Formerly Southern Nevada Water

Project), Nevada: Southern Clark County, Lower Colorado

Region Bureau of Reclamation’’, on file at the Bureau of Reclamation and all interests in land acquired under Public Law

89–292, as amended.

(3) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the

Interior.

(4) The term ‘‘Acquired Land(s)’’ means all interests in

land, including fee title, right(s)-of-way, and easement(s),

acquired by the United States from non-Federal sources by

purchase, donation, exchange, or condemnation pursuant to

Public Law 89–292, as amended for the Griffith Project.

(5) The term ‘‘Public Land’’ means lands which have never

left Federal ownership and are under the jurisdiction of the

Bureau of Land Management.

(6) The term ‘‘Withdrawn Land’’ means Federal lands which

are withdrawn from settlement, sale, location of minerals, or

entry under some or all of the general land laws and are

reserved for a particular public purpose pursuant to Public

Law 89–292, as amended, under the jurisdiction of the Bureau

of Reclamation, or are reserved pursuant to Public Law 88–

639 under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
S. 986—2

SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF GRIFFITH PROJECT.

(a) IN GENERAL.—In consideration of the Authority assuming

from the United States all liability for administration, operation,

maintenance, and replacement of the Griffith Project and subject

to the prepayment by the Authority of the Federal repayment

amount of $121,204,348 (which amount shall be increased to reflect

any accrued unpaid interest and shall be decreased by the amount

of any additional principal payments made by the Authority after

September 15, 1999, prior to the date on which prepayment occurs),

the Secretary shall, pursuant to the provisions of this Act—

(1) convey and assign to the Authority all of the right,

title, and interest of the United States in and to improvements

and facilities of the Griffith Project in existence as of the

date of this Act;

(2) convey and assign to the Authority all of the right,

title, and interest of the United States to Acquired Lands

that were acquired for the Griffith Project; and

(3) convey and assign to the Authority all interests reserved

and developed as of the date of this Act for the Griffith Project

in lands patented by the United States.

(b) Pursuant to the authority of this section, from the effective

date of conveyance of the Griffith Project, the Authority shall have

a right-of-way at no cost across all Public Land and Withdrawn

Land—

(1) on which the Griffith Project is situated; and

(2) across any Federal lands as reasonably necessary for

the operation, maintenance, replacement, and repair of the

Griffith Project, including existing access routes.

Rights-of-way established by this section shall be valid for as long

as they are needed for municipal water supply purposes and shall

not require payment of rental or other fee.

(c) Within twelve months after the effective date of this Act—

(1) the Secretary and the Authority shall agree upon a

description of the land subject to the rights-of-way established

by subsection (b) of this section; and

(2) the Secretary shall deliver to the Authority a document

memorializing such rights-of-way.

(d) REPORT.—If the conveyance under subsection (a) has not

occurred within twelve months after the effective date of this Act,

the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the status

of the conveyance.

SEC. 4. RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING CONTRACTS.

The Secretary and the Authority may modify Contract No.

7–07–30–W0004 and other contracts and land permits as necessary

to conform to the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 5. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS AND FUTURE BENEFITS.

(a) If the Authority changes the use or operation of the Griffith

Project, the Authority shall comply with all applicable laws and

regulations governing the changes at that time.

(b) On conveyance of the Griffith Project under section 3 of

this Act, the Act of June 17, 1902 (43 U.S.C. 391 et seq.), and

all Acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto shall not apply

to the Griffith Project. Effective upon transfer, the lands and facilities transferred pursuant to this Act shall not be entitled to receive

any further Reclamation benefits pursuant to the Act of June 17,
S. 986—3

1902, and all Acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto

attributable to their status as a Federal Reclamation Project, and

the Griffith Project shall no longer be a Federal Reclamation Project.

(c) Nothing in this Act shall transfer or affect Federal ownership, rights, or interests in Lake Mead National Recreation Area

associated lands, nor affect the authorities of the National Park

Service to manage Lake Mead National Recreation Area including

lands on which the Griffith Project is located consistent with the

Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535), Public Law 88–639, October

8, 1964 (78 Stat. 1039), or any other applicable legislation, regulation, or policy.

(d) Nothing in this Act shall affect the application of Federal

reclamation law to water delivered to the Authority pursuant to

any contract with the Secretary under section 5 of the Boulder

Canyon Project Act.

(e) Effective upon conveyance of the Griffith Project and

acquired interests in land under section 3 of this Act, the United

States shall not be liable for damages of any kind arising out

of any act, omission, or occurrence based on its prior ownership

of the conveyed property.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.