I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1508
To require the transfer of title to the District of Columbia of certain real
property in Anacostia Park to facilitate the construction of National
Children’s Island, a cultural, educational, and family-oriented park.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 7, 1995
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Commit-
tee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Government Re-
form and Oversight, 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 require the transfer of title to the District of Columbia
of certain real property in Anacostia Park to facilitate
the construction of National Children’s Island, a cultural,
educational, and family-oriented park.
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 ‘‘National Children’s
Island Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this Act, the following terms shall
have the following meanings:
(1) ‘‘District’’ shall mean the District of Co-
lumbia.
(2) The ‘‘Islands’’ shall mean Heritage Island
and all of that portion of Kingman Island located
south of Benning Road and within the District of
Columbia and the Anacostia River, being a portion
of United States Reservation 343, Section F, as
specified and legally described on the Survey (as de-
fined in paragraph (5) hereof).
(3) ‘‘National Children’s Island’’ shall refer to
a proposed cultural, educational, and family-oriented
recreation park, together with a children’s play-
ground available to the public free of charge.
(4) The ‘‘Secretary’’ shall mean the Secretary
of the Department of the Interior.
(5) The ‘‘Survey’’ shall refer to the ALTA/
ACSM Land Title Survey prepared by Dewberry &
Davis and dated February 12, 1994.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to transfer fee simple title
to the Islands to the District to facilitate the construction,
development, and operation of National Children’s Island.
SEC. 4. PROPERTY TRANSFER.
(a) TRANSFER OF TITLE.—The Secretary shall, in
the name and on behalf of the United States of America,
no later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, transfer to the District, without compensation, all
right, title, and interest of the United States in and to
the Islands, together with all and singular the improve-
ments, ways, easements, rights, privileges, hereditaments,
and appurtenances belonging thereto, or in any way apper-
taining thereto, and all the estate, right, title, interest, and
claim, either to or out of the Islands and premises.
(b) GRANT OF EASEMENTS.—The Secretary shall, in
the name and on behalf of the United States of America,
within 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
grant to the District, without compensation, permanent
easements, which shall be for the use of the District and
any lessees, sublessees, and/or operator of the Island and
their respective sublessees, licensees, and invitees, and
which shall be assignable by the District to any lessee,
sublessee, and/or operator of the Islands, across the water-
ways and bed of the Anacostia River as described in the
Survey as Leased Riverbed Areas A, B, C, and D, and
across the shoreline of the Anacostia River as depicted on
the plat map recorded in the Office of the Surveyor of
the District as S.O. 92–252 for the purposes of—
(1) constructing, reconstructing, maintaining,
operating, and otherwise using such bridges, roads,
and other improvements necessary or desirable for
vehicular and pedestrian egress and ingress to and
from the Islands;
(2) installing, reinstalling, maintaining, and op-
erating utilities (including, without limitation, all
necessary electricity, water, sewer, gas, refuse dis-
posal, and other similar services) and other facilities
necessary or desirable for the construction, recon-
struction, maintenance, and operation of the Islands
and any and all improvements located thereon from
time to time; and
(3) constructing, reconstructing, maintaining,
operating, and otherwise providing visitor support
services, rest areas, restrooms, shopping, and infor-
mational kiosks and the like for the Islands.
SEC. 5. EFFECT OF PROPERTY TRANSFER.
Upon the transfer of the Islands to the District pur-
suant to this Act:
(1) The Transfer of Jurisdiction concerning the
Islands from the National Park Service to the Dis-
trict dated February 1993, as depicted on the plat
map recorded in the Office of the Surveyor of the
District as S.O. 92–252 and as approved by the
Council of the District by Resolution 10–91, shall
become null and void and of no further force and ef-
fect.
(2) The Islands shall no longer be considered to
be part of Anacostia Park and shall not be consid-
ered to be within the park system of the District;
therefore, the provisions of District of Columbia
Code section 8–104 shall not apply to the Islands,
and the District shall have exclusive charge and con-
trol over the Islands and easements transferred.
(3) The Islands shall cease to be property ‘‘of
the United States’’ for the purposes of title 40, sec-
tion 68 of the United States Code and of District of
Columbia Code, section 8–128.
(4) The Islands shall not be burdened by the
navigational servitude, to the extent that such navi-
gational servitude would otherwise apply.
(5) All existing permits, licenses, and other en-
cumbrances that may burden the Islands prior to
the transfer of title required by this Act shall be ex-
tinguished.
SEC. 6. MISCELLANEOUS.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Dis-
trict is hereby authorized to grant to a nongovernmental
individual or entity an easement, license, sublease, or
other right to use the lands currently being leased by the
United States to the District pursuant to the District of
Columbia Stadium Act of 1957 (Public Law 85–300, Sep-
tember 7, 1957, 71 Stat. 619) for parking and other pur-
poses as the Mayor of the District in his discretion may
determine necessary or appropriate in connection with or
in support of National Children’s Island.
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