IB 
Union Calendar No. 359 
104TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1784 
[Report No. 104–691] 
To validate certain conveyances made by the Southern Pacific Transportation 
Company within the cities of Reno, Nevada, and Tulare, California, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 7, 1995 
Mrs. VUCANOVICH (for herself and Mr. THOMAS of California) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure 
JULY 18, 1996 
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] 
A BILL 
To validate certain conveyances made by the Southern Pa-
cific Transportation Company within the cities of Reno, 
Nevada, and Tulare, California, 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. LEGALIZATION OF CERTAIN CONVEYANCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, and subject to section 2, the following convey-
ances are hereby validated to the extent that the convey-
ances would have been legal or valid if the land involved 
in the conveyances had been held by the Southern Pacific 
Transportation Company, or its subsidiaries, predecessors, 
successors or assigns, under absolute or fee simple title: 
(1) Conveyances of parcels from the lands de-
scribed in subsection (b) made by the Southern Pa-
cific Transportation Company or its subsidiaries, 
predecessors, successors or assigns, on or before 
January 1, 1995. 
(2) Conveyances of parcels from the lands de-
scribed in subsection (b) made after January 1, 
1995, by the Southern Pacific Transportation Com-
pany, or its successors or assigns, to the Redevelop-
ment Agency of the city of Tulare or the Redevelop-
ment Agency of the city of Reno. 
(b) LANDS DESCRIBED.—The lands referred to in 
subsection (a) are the lands that 
(1) formed part of a railroad right-of-way 
granted to the Central Pacific Railroad Company of 
California or the Southern Pacific Railroad Com-
pany, or their successors or assigns, by the Federal 
Government; and
(2)(A) are located within the boundaries of the 
Downtown Redevelopment Area of the city of Reno, 
Nevada (as defined and determined by the Secretary 
of the Interior, in consultation with the appropriate 
official of the city of Reno, Nevada); or 
(B)
are
located
within
the
boundaries
of 
Amended Urban Renewal Plan for California A–8– 
1 (the Downtown Plan) adopted by the city of 
Tulare (as defined and determined by the Secretary 
of the Interior, in consultation with the appropriate 
official of the city of Tulare, California). 
SEC. 2. FILING OF INSTRUMENTS. 
As soon as practicable after the date of enact-
ment
of
this
Act,
the
Secretary
shall
file
for 
recordations in the real property records of Tulare 
County, California, and Washoes County, Nevada, 
such instruments as are necessary to document the 
legal interests validated under section 1. 
SECTION 1. LEGALIZATION OF CERTAIN CONVEYANCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, and subject to subsections (c) and (d), the fol-
lowing conveyances are hereby validated to the extent that 
the conveyances would have been legal or valid if all right, 
title, and interest of the United States had been held by
the Southern Pacific Transportation Company at the time 
of such conveyances: 
(1) Conveyances of parcels from the lands de-
scribed in subsection (b) made by the Southern Pa-
cific Transportation Company or its subsidiaries, 
predecessors, successors or assigns, on or before Janu-
ary 1, 1995. 
(2) Conveyances of parcels from the lands de-
scribed in subsection (b) made after January 1, 1995, 
by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, or 
its successors or assigns, to the Redevelopment Agency 
of the city of Tulare or the Redevelopment Agency of 
the city of Reno. 
(b) LANDS DESCRIBED.—The lands referred to in sub-
section (a) are the lands that— 
(1) formed part of a railroad right-of-way grant-
ed to the Central Pacific Railroad Company of Cali-
fornia or the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, or 
their successors or assigns, by the Federal Govern-
ment; and 
(2)(A) are located within the boundaries of the 
Downtown Redevelopment Area of the city of Reno, 
Nevada; or
(B) are located within the boundaries of Amend-
ed Urban Renewal Plan for California A–8–1 (the 
Downtown Plan) adopted by the city of Tulare. 
(C) MINERALS.—(1) The United States hereby reserves 
any federally-owned minerals that may exist in land that 
is conveyed pursuant to this Act, including the right of the 
United States, and its assignees or lessees, to enter upon 
and utilize as much of the surface of such land as is nec-
essary to remove minerals under the laws of the United 
States. 
(2) Any and all minerals reserved by paragraph (1) 
are hereby withdrawn from all forms of entry, appropria-
tion, and patent under the mining, mineral leasing, and 
geothermal leasing laws of the United States. 
(d) TAKINGS OF PRIVATE LAND.—If the validation of 
any conveyance pursuant to subsection (a) would constitute 
a taking of the private property within the meaning of the 
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the 
validation of the conveyance shall be effective only upon 
payment by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company 
(or its subsidiaries, successors or assigns) to the Secretary 
of the Treasury of the fair market value of the property 
taken.
Union Calendar No. 359 
104TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1784 
[Report No. 104–691] 
A BILL 
To validate certain conveyances made by the South-
ern Pacific Transportation Company within the 
cities of Reno, Nevada, and Tulare, California, 
and for other purposes. 
JULY 18, 1996 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee on of the Whole House on the State of the 
Union, and ordered to be printed