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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3759 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3759

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 20, 2010

   Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to grant market-related 
 contract extensions of certain timber contracts between the Secretary 
     of the Interior and timber purchasers, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. QUALIFYING TIMBER CONTRACT OPTIONS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Qualifying contract.--The term ``qualifying contract'' 
        means a contract that has not been terminated by the Bureau of 
        Land Management for the sale of timber on lands administered by 
        the Bureau of Land Management that meets all of the following 
        criteria:
                    (A) The contract was awarded during the period 
                beginning on January 1, 2005, and ending on December 
                31, 2008.
                    (B) There is unharvested volume remaining for the 
                contract.
                    (C) The contract is not a salvage sale.
                    (D) The Secretary determined there is not an urgent 
                need to harvest under the contract due to deteriorating 
                timber conditions that developed after the award of the 
                contract.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of Bureau of Land 
        Management.
            (3) Timber purchaser.--The term ``timber purchaser'' means 
        the party to the qualifying contract for the sale of timber 
        from lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
    (b) Market-related Contract Extension Option.--Upon a timber 
purchaser's written request, the Secretary may make a one-time 
modification to the qualifying contract to add 3 years to the contract 
expiration date if the written request--
            (1) is received by the Secretary not later than 90 days 
        after the date of enactment of this Act; and
            (2) contains a provision releasing the United States from 
        all liability, including further consideration or compensation, 
        resulting from the modification under this subsection of the 
        term of a qualifying contract.
    (c) Reporting.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
detailing a plan and timeline to promulgate new regulations authorizing 
the Bureau of Land Management to extend and renegotiate timber 
contracts due to changes in market conditions.
    (d) Regulations.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate new regulations 
authorizing the Bureau of Land Management to extend and renegotiate 
timber contracts due to changes in market conditions.
    (e) No Surrender of Claims.--This section shall not have the effect 
of surrendering any claim by the United States against any timber 
purchaser that arose under a timber sale contract, including a 
qualifying contract, before the date on which the Secretary adjusts the 
contract term under subsection (b).

            Passed the House of Representatives January 19, 2010.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.
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