IB 

Union Calendar No. 441 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1887 

[Report No. 114–568] 

To amend certain appropriation Acts to repeal the requirement directing 

the Administrator of General Services to sell Federal property and assets 

that support the operations of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center 

in Plum Island, New York, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 16, 2015 

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

Committee on Homeland Security 

MAY 16, 2016 

Additional sponsors: Mr. COURTNEY, Ms. ESTY, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. HIMES, 

Mr. ISRAEL, Miss RICE of New York, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. DONOVAN, Mr. GIBSON, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. MENG, Mr. HANNA, Mr. BEYER, Mr. KIND, 

Mr. ENGEL, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. 

MCGOVERN, Mr. LANGEVIN, and Mr. TED LIEU of California 

MAY 16 2016 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 16, 2015] 


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•HR 1887 RH

A BILL 

To amend certain appropriation Acts to repeal the requirement directing the Administrator of General Services 

to sell Federal property and assets that support the 

operations of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center 

in Plum Island, New York, and for other purposes. 


asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
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•HR 1887 RH

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

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) The Federal Government has owned Plum Is6 land, New York, since 1899. 

7 (2) Since 1954, the Plum Island Animal Disease 

8 Center has conducted unrivaled scientific research on 

9 a variety of infectious animal-borne diseases, includ10 ing foot-and-mouth disease, resulting, most recently, 

11 in the development of a new cell line that rapidly and 

12 reliably detects this highly debilitating disease of live13 stock. 

14 (3) Over 62 years, the Center has had a strong, 

15 proven record of safety. 

16 (4) $23,200,000 in Federal dollars have been 

17 spent on upgrades to, and the maintenance of, the 

18 Center since January 2012. 

19 (5) In addition to the Center, Plum Island con20 tains cultural, historical, ecological, and natural re21 sources of regional and national significance. 

22 (6) Plum Island is situated where the Long Is23 land Sound and Peconic Bay meet, both of which are 

24 estuaries that are part of the National Estuary ProVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:35 May 16, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H1887.RH H1887

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•HR 1887 RH

1 gram and are environmentally and economically sig2 nificant to the region. 

3 (7) The Federal Government has invested hun4 dreds of millions of Federal dollars over the last two 

5 decades to make long-term improvements with respect 

6 to the conservation and management needs of Long 

7 Island Sound and Peconic Bay. 

8 (8) The Department of Homeland Security has 

9 undertaken a study to consider alternatives for the 

10 final disposition of Plum Island, including an anal11 ysis of— 

12 (A) conservation of the island’s resources; 

13 (B) any remediation responsibilities; 

14 (C) the need for any legislative changes; 

15 (D) cost; and 

16 (E) any revenues from the alternatives. 

17 SEC. 2. REPORT REQUIRED ON STUDY BY DEPARTMENT OF 

18 HOMELAND SECURITY ON CLEAN UP AND AL19 TERNATIVE USES OF PLUM ISLAND. 

20 (a) ASSESSMENT BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL.— 

21 (1) ASSESSMENT REQUIRED.—The Comptroller 

22 General of the United States shall conduct an assess23 ment of the study by the Department of Homeland 

24 Security on the options for the disposition of Plum 

25 Island referred to in section 1(8). Such assessment 


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•HR 1887 RH

1 shall include a determination of whether the meth2 odologies used by the Department in conducting such 

3 study adequately support the Department’s findings 

4 with respect to the following: 

5 (A) The possible alternative uses for Plum 

6 Island, including the transfer of ownership to 

7 another Federal agency, a State or local govern8 ment, a nonprofit organization, or a combina9 tion thereof for the purpose of education, re10 search, or conservation. 

11 (B) The possible issues and implications, if 

12 any, of pursuing such alternative uses for Plum 

13 Island. 

14 (C) The potential cost to be incurred for ex15 penses related to the transition, cleanup, and 

16 hazard mitigation of Plum Island by a recipient 

17 of such property. 

18 (2) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 

19 days after the date on which the Department of 

20 Homeland Security completes the study referred to in 

21 section 1(8), the Comptroller General of the United 

22 States shall submit to Congress a report containing 

23 the following: 

24 (A) The results of the assessment described 

25 under paragraph (1). 


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•HR 1887 RH

1 (B) A description of the Secretary of Home2 land Security’s coordination with the Adminis3 trator of General Services, the Secretary of the 

4 Interior, and the Administrator of the Environ5 mental Protection Agency in conducting the De6 partment of Homeland Security study referred to 

7 in section 1(8). 

8 (b) STUDY BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL.— 

9 (1) STUDY REQUIRED.—If the Comptroller Gen10 eral of the United States determines that the meth11 odologies referred to in subsection (a)(1) do not ade12 quately support the Department of Homeland Secu13 rity’s findings related to an issue described in sub14 paragraphs (A) through (C) of such subsection, the 

15 Comptroller General shall conduct a study on any 

16 such issue. 

17 (2) REPORT REQUIRED.—If the Comptroller 

18 General of the United States conducts a study under 

19 paragraph (1), not later than one year after the date 

20 on which the Department of Homeland Security com21 pletes the study referred to in section 1(8), the Comp22 troller General shall submit to Congress a report con23 taining the results of the study conducted under para24 graph (1). 


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•HR 1887 RH

1 SEC. 3. SUSPENSION OF ACTION. 

2 No action may be taken to carry out section 538 of 

3 title V of division D of the Consolidated Appropriations 

4 Act, 2012 (Public Law 112–74; 125 Stat. 976) until at least 

5 180 days after the reports required by subsection (a)(2) of 

6 section 2 and, if applicable, subsection (b)(2) of such section 

7 have been submitted to Congress. 


asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 441 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1887 

[Report No. 114–568] 

A BILL 

To amend certain appropriation Acts to repeal the 

York, and for other purposes. Animal Disease Center in Plum Island, New that support the operations of the Plum Island eral Services to sell Federal property and assets requirement directing the Administrator of GenMAY 16, 2016 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS