I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3027 

To authorize the conveyance of four small parcels of land within the boundaries of the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge for the purposes of addressing a long-term boundary discrepancy. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 10, 2015 

Mr. GOSAR (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. SALMON, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. SCHWEIKERT, Mr. GALLEGO, 

and Ms. MCSALLY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the conveyance of four small parcels of land 

within the boundaries of the Imperial National Wildlife 

Refuge for the purposes of addressing a long-term 

boundary discrepancy. 

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 ‘‘Meers Point Boundary 

5 Clarification Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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1 (1) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The term ‘‘ad2 ministrative costs’’ refers to any costs necessary to 

3 transfer the Federal Land from the United States to 

4 the Property Owner, such as— 

5 (A) boundary surveys; 

6 (B) boundary marking; 

7 (C) title work; 

8 (D) closing costs; 

9 (E) recording fees; and 

10 (F) Level 1 contaminant reports. 

11 (2) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal 

12 Land’’ means the land that is owned by the United 

13 States and managed cooperatively by the Bureau of 

14 Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 

15 located within lots 34, 35, 37, and 38 in section 13 

16 of Township 5 South, Range 22 West; and identified 

17 in the survey as those portions of lots 34, 35, 37, 

18 and 38 that are within the boundary of the Imperial 

19 National Wildlife Refuge. 

20 (3) PROPERTY OWNER.—The term ‘‘Property 

21 Owner’’ means the current landowner or landowners 

22 of those properties described in Quit Claim Deeds, 

23 dated July 1, 1992, and filed in Yuma County, Ari24 zona at DKT 1816, page 740; DKT 1816, page 

25 748; DKT 1816, page 752; and State of Arizona, 


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1 State Land Department Special Land Use Permit 

2 No. 23–113167–17, dated August 27, 2008, and 

3 identified in this Act as— 

4 (A) lot 34, State of Arizona ‘‘lease lot’’; 

5 (B) lot 35; 

6 (C) lot 37; and 

7 (D) lot 38. 

8 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

9 the Secretary of the Interior. 

10 (5) SURVEY.—The term ‘‘Survey’’ means a sur11 vey of Meers Point that shall— 

12 (A) be conducted by the Secretary, acting 

13 through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 

14 (B) cover those portions of lots 34, 35, 37, 

15 and 38 that are currently within the boundary 

16 of the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge; and 

17 (C) determine the exact acreage and legal 

18 description of the Federal Land to be conveyed 

19 under this Act. 

20 SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF FEDERAL LAND TO PROPERTY 

21 OWNERS. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—After completion of the survey, 

23 the Secretary shall convey to each Property Owner by 

24 quitclaim deed all right, title, and interest of the United 


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1 States in and to that Federal Land within each Property 

2 Owner’s lot. 

3 (b) CONSIDERATION.— 

4 (1) PAYMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—As 

5 consideration for the conveyance of the Federal 

6 Land under this section, each Property Owner shall 

7 pay to the Secretary a percentage of the total ad8 ministrative costs incurred by the United States in 

9 an amount that equals the proportion of the acreage 

10 conveyed to each Property Owner to the total acre11 age conveyed under subsection (a) to all Property 

12 Owners. Such consideration shall be paid by a Prop13 erty Owner to the Secretary on or before the date 

14 of the conveyance. 

15 (2) WAIVER FOR STATE.—Payment is hereby 

16 waived for any conveyance of Federal Land under 

17 this Act to the State of Arizona. 

18 (c) LIABILITY.—Effective on the date of conveyance 

19 of Federal Land to a Property Owner under this section, 

20 the United States shall not be held liable by any court 

21 for damages of any kind arising out of any act, omission, 

22 or occurrence relating to the land conveyed, except for 

23 damages caused by acts of negligence committed by the 

24 United States or by its employees or agents prior to the 

25 date of conveyance. Nothing in this section increases the 


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1 liability of the United States beyond that provided in chap2 ter 171 of title 28, United States Code (popularly known 

3 as the ‘‘Federal Tort Claims Act’’) on the date of the en4 actment of this Act. 

5 (d) PROPERTY OWNER DISCRETION.—The convey6 ance of Federal Land in accordance with this Act shall 

7 be subject to a Property Owner’s compliance with the pro8 visions of this section. 

9 SEC. 4. DISPOSITION AND USE OF PROCEEDS. 

10 Any amounts paid to the Secretary under section 3, 

11 shall remain available to the Secretary, without further 

12 appropriation until expended, for visitor services and re13 source protection at Imperial National Wildlife Refuge. 

Æ 


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