I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 474 

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against 

income tax for qualified conservation contributions which include National Scenic Trails. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2013 

Mr. CONNOLLY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Natural 

Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a 

credit against income tax for qualified conservation contributions which include National Scenic Trails. 

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 ‘‘Complete America’s 

5 Great Trails Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL CONSERVATION CREDIT. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart B of part IV of sub8 chapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 


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1 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new 

2 section: 

3 ‘‘SEC. 30E. NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL CONSERVATION CRED4 IT. 

5 ‘‘(a) ALLOWANCE OF CREDIT.—There shall be al6 lowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter 

7 for the taxable year an amount equal to the fair market 

8 value of any National Scenic Trail conservation contribu9 tion of the taxpayer for the taxable year. 

10 ‘‘(b) NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL CONSERVATION CON11 TRIBUTION.—For purposes of this section— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘National Scenic 

13 Trail conservation contribution’ means any qualified 

14 conservation contribution— 

15 ‘‘(A) to the extent the qualified real prop16 erty interest with respect to such contribution 

17 includes a National Scenic Trail (or portion 

18 thereof) and its trail corridor, and 

19 ‘‘(B) with respect to which the taxpayer 

20 makes an election under this section. 

21 ‘‘(2) NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL.—The term ‘Na22 tional Scenic Trail’ means any trail authorized and 

23 designated under section 5 of the National Trails 

24 System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244), but only if such trail 

25 is at least 200 miles in length. 


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1 ‘‘(3) TRAIL CORRIDOR.—The term ‘trail cor2 ridor’ means so much of the corridor of a trail as 

3 is— 

4 ‘‘(A) not less than— 

5 ‘‘(i) 150 feet wide on each side of 

6 such trail, or 

7 ‘‘(ii) in the case of an interest in real 

8 property of the taxpayer which includes 

9 less than 150 feet on either side of such 

10 trail, the entire distance with respect to 

11 such interest on such side, and 

12 ‘‘(B) not greater than 2,640 feet wide. 

13 ‘‘(4) QUALIFIED CONSERVATION CONTRIBU14 TION; QUALIFIED REAL PROPERTY INTEREST.—The 

15 terms ‘qualified conservation contribution’ and 

16 ‘qualified real property interest’ have the respective 

17 meanings given such terms by section 170(h), except 

18 that paragraph (2)(A) thereof shall be applied with19 out regard to any qualified mineral interest (as de20 fined in paragraph (6) thereof). 

21 ‘‘(c) SPECIAL RULES.— 

22 ‘‘(1) FAIR MARKET VALUE.—Fair market value 

23 of any National Scenic Trail conservation contribu24 tion shall be determined under rules similar to the 

25 valuation rules under Treasury Regulations under 


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1 section 170, except that in any case, to the extent 

2 practicable, fair market value shall be determined by 

3 reference to the highest and best use of the real 

4 property with respect to such contribution. 

5 ‘‘(2) ELECTION IRREVOCABLE.—An election 

6 under this section may not be revoked. 

7 ‘‘(3) DENIAL OF DOUBLE BENEFIT.—No deduc8 tion shall be allowed under this chapter with respect 

9 to any qualified conservation contribution with re10 spect to which an election is made under this sec11 tion. 

12 ‘‘(d) LIMITATION BASED ON AMOUNT OF TAX; 

13 CARRYFORWARD OF UNUSED CREDIT.— 

14 ‘‘(1) LIMITATION.—The credit allowed under 

15 subsection (a) for any taxable year shall not exceed 

16 the sum of— 

17 ‘‘(A) the taxpayer’s regular tax liability (as 

18 defined in section 26(b)) for the taxable year 

19 reduced by the sum of the credits allowable 

20 under subpart A and sections 27, 30, 30B, 

21 30C, and 30D, plus 

22 ‘‘(B) the tax imposed by section 55. 

23 ‘‘(2) CARRYFORWARD.— 

24 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If the credit allowable 

25 under subsection (a) exceeds the limitation imVerDate Mar 15 2010 06:00 Feb 09, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H474.IH H474

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1 posed by paragraph (1) for any taxable year, 

2 such excess shall be carried to the succeeding 

3 taxable year and added to the credit allowable 

4 under subsection (a) for such succeeding tax5 able year. 

6 ‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—No credit may be car7 ried forward under this subsection to any tax8 able year following the tenth taxable year after 

9 the taxable year in which the credit arose. For 

10 purposes of the preceding sentence, credits shall 

11 be treated as used on a first-in first-out basis.’’. 

12 (b) CONTINUED USE NOT INCONSISTENT WITH

13 CONSERVATION PURPOSES.—A contribution of an interest 

14 in real property shall not fail to be treated as a National 

15 Scenic Trail conservation contribution (as defined in sec16 tion 30E(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) solely 

17 by reason of continued use of the real property, such as 

18 for recreational or agricultural use (including motor vehi19 cle use related thereto), if, under the circumstances, such 

20 use does not impair significant conservation interests and 

21 is not inconsistent with the purposes of the National 

22 Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.). 

23 (c) STUDY REGARDING EFFICACY OF NATIONAL

24 SCENIC TRAIL CONSERVATION CREDIT.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte2 rior shall, in consultation with the Secretary of the 

3 Treasury, study— 

4 (A) the efficacy of the National Scenic 

5 Trail conservation credit under section 30E of 

6 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 in com7 pleting, extending, and increasing the number 

8 of National Scenic Trails (as defined in section 

9 30E(b) of such Code), and 

10 (B) the feasibility and estimated costs and 

11 benefits of— 

12 (i) making such credit refundable (in 

13 whole or in part), and 

14 (ii) allowing transfer of such credit. 

15 (2) REPORT.—Not later than 4 years after the 

16 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

17 the Interior shall submit a report to Congress on the 

18 results of the study conducted under this subsection. 

19 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec20 tions for subpart B of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 

21 1 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the fol22 lowing new item: 

‘‘30E. National Scenic Trail conservation credit.’’. 


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1 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

2 this section shall apply to contributions made after the 

3 date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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