I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8849 
To facilitate land exchanges in California between the California State Lands 
Commission and the Department of the Interior, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 3, 2020 
Mr. COOK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To facilitate land exchanges in California between the Cali-
fornia State Lands Commission and the Department of 
the Interior, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘California Desert Con-
servation Enhancement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CALIFORNIA STATE SCHOOL LAND. 
Section 707 of the California Desert Protection Act 
of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 410aaa–77) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the 
following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:58 Dec 14, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8849.IH
H8849
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(5) SPECIAL DEPOSIT FUND ACCOUNT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Assembled land ex-
changes may be used to carry out this section 
through the sale of surplus Federal property 
and subsequent acquisitions of State school 
land. 
‘‘(B) RECEIPTS.—Past and future receipts 
from the sale of property described in sub-
section (a), less any costs incurred related to 
the sale, shall be deposited in a Special Deposit 
Fund Account established in the Treasury. 
‘‘(C) USE.—Funds accumulated in the 
Special Deposit Fund Account may be used by 
the Secretary, without an appropriation, to ac-
quire State school lands or interest in the land 
consistent with this section.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) TRANSACTIONS
BEFORE
JANUARY
1, 
2018.—Any transaction completed pursuant to this 
section before January 1, 2018— 
‘‘(A) is deemed to be in compliance with 
the terms of the October 26, 1995, Memo-
randum of Agreement between the commission, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:58 Dec 14, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8849.IH
H8849
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
the general services administration, and the 
Secretary; and 
‘‘(B) meets the requirements of subsection 
(a). 
‘‘(2) TRANSACTIONS ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 
2018.—Any transaction completed pursuant to this 
section on or after January 1, 2018, that satisfies 
the terms of the October 26, 1995, Memorandum of 
Agreement shall be considered to be in compliance 
with subsection (a).’’. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITED USES OF ACQUIRED, DONATED, AND 
CONSERVATION LAND. 
Section 714(a) of the California Desert Protection 
Act of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 410aaa–81c(a)) is amended by 
striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(3) CONSERVATION
LAND.—The term ‘con-
servation land’ means— 
‘‘(A) any land within the Conservation 
Area that is designated to satisfy the conditions 
of a Federal habitat conservation plan, general 
conservation plan, or State natural communities 
conservation plan; 
‘‘(B) any national conservation land within 
the Conservation Area established pursuant to 
section 2002(b)(2)(D) of the Omnibus Public 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:58 Dec 14, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8849.IH
H8849
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 
7202(b)(2)(D)); and 
‘‘(C) any area of critical environmental 
concern within the Conservation Area estab-
lished pursuant to section 202(c)(3) of the Fed-
eral Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1712(c)(3)).’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:58 Dec 14, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H8849.IH
H8849
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS