IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2615 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
NOVEMBER 29, 2017 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources 
AN ACT 
To authorize the exchange of certain land located in Gulf 
Islands National Seashore, Jackson County, Mississippi, 
between the National Park Service and the Veterans 
of Foreign Wars, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Gulf Islands National 
Seashore Land Exchange Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. LAND EXCHANGE, GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEA-
SHORE, JACKSON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI. 
(a) LAND EXCHANGE AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary 
of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Na-
tional Park Service (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) may convey to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 
5699 (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Post’’) all right, 
title, and interest of the United States in and to a parcel 
of real property, consisting of approximately 1.542 acres, 
located within the Gulf Islands National Seashore in Jack-
son County, Mississippi, and identified as ‘‘NPS Exchange 
Area’’ on the map entitled ‘‘Gulf Islands National Sea-
shore, Proposed Land Exchange with VFW, Davis Bayou 
Area—Jackson County, MS’’, numbered 635/133309, and 
dated June 2016. 
(b) LAND TO BE ACQUIRED.—In exchange for the 
property described in subsection (a), the Post shall convey 
to the Secretary all right, title, and interest of the Post 
in and to a parcel of real property, consisting of approxi-
mately 2.161 acres, located in Jackson County, Mis-
sissippi, and identified as ‘‘VFW Exchange Area’’ on the 
map described in subsection (a). 
(c) EQUAL VALUE EXCHANGE.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The values of the parcels of 
real property to be exchanged under this section 
shall be determined by an appraisal conducted— 
(A) by a qualified and independent ap-
praiser; and 
(B) in accordance with nationally recog-
nized appraisal standards. 
(2) EQUALIZATION.—If the values of the par-
cels of real property to be exchanged under this sec-
tion, as determined pursuant to paragraph (1), are 
not equal, the values shall be equalized through— 
(A) a cash payment; or 
(B) adjustments to the acreage of the par-
cels of real property to be exchanged. 
(d) PAYMENT OF COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.— 
(1) PAYMENT REQUIRED.—The Secretary shall 
require the Post to cover costs to be incurred by the 
Secretary, or to reimburse the Secretary for such 
costs incurred by the Secretary, to carry out the 
land exchange under this section, including survey 
costs, costs related to environmental documentation, 
and any other administrative costs related to the 
land exchange. If amounts are collected from the 
Secretary in advance of the Secretary incurring the 
actual costs and the amount collected exceeds the 
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costs actually incurred by the Secretary to carry out 
the land exchange, the Secretary shall refund the ex-
cess amount to the Post. 
(2) TREATMENT
OF
AMOUNTS
RECEIVED.— 
Amounts received as reimbursement under para-
graph (1) shall be credited to the fund or account 
that was used to cover those costs incurred by the 
Secretary in carrying out the land exchange. 
Amounts so credited shall be merged with amounts 
in such fund or account and shall be available for 
the same purposes, and subject to the same condi-
tions and limitations, as amounts in such fund or 
account. 
(e) DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY.—The exact acreage 
and legal description of property to be exchanged under 
this section shall be determined by surveys satisfactory to 
the Secretary and the Post. 
(f) CONVEYANCE AGREEMENT.—The exchange of 
real property under this section shall be accomplished 
using a quit claim deed or other legal instrument and upon 
terms and conditions mutually satisfactory to the Sec-
retary and the Post, including such additional terms and 
conditions as the Secretary considers appropriate to pro-
tect the interests of the United States. 
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(g) VALID EXISTING RIGHTS.—The exchange author-
ized under this section shall be subject to valid existing 
rights. 
(h) TITLE APPROVAL.—Title to the real property de-
scribed in subsection (a) and the real property described 
in subsection (b) to be exchanged under this section shall 
be in a form acceptable to the Secretary. 
(i) TREATMENT OF ACQUIRED LAND.—Land and in-
terests in land acquired by the United States under sub-
section (b) shall be administered by the Secretary as part 
of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. 
(j) MODIFICATION OF BOUNDARY.—Upon completion 
of the land exchange under this section, the Secretary 
shall modify the boundary of the Gulf Islands National 
Seashore to reflect such land exchange. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 28, 
2017. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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