II 
Calendar No. 376 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2615 
[Report No. 115–228] 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
NOVEMBER 29, 2017 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources 
APRIL 11, 2018 
Reported by Ms. MURKOWSKI, with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
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, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Gulf Islands National 
Seashore Land Exchange Act of 2017’’. 
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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.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The values of the parcels of 
real property to be exchanged under this section 
shall be determined by an appraisal conducted— 
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(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 
costs actually incurred by the Secretary to carry out 
the land exchange, the Secretary shall refund the ex-
cess amount to the Post. 
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(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. 
(g) VALID EXISTING RIGHTS.—The exchange author-
ized under this section shall be subject to valid existing 
rights. 
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(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. 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Gulf Islands National 
Seashore Land Exchange Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 
means the parcel of approximately 1.542 acres of land 
that is located within the Gulf Islands National Sea-
shore in Jackson County, Mississippi, and identified 
as ‘‘NPS Exchange Area’’ on the Map. 
(2) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map enti-
tled ‘‘Gulf Islands National Seashore, Proposed Land 
Exchange with VFW, Davis Bayou Area—Jackson 
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County, MS’’, numbered 635/133309, and dated June 
2016. 
(3) NON-FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘non-Fed-
eral land’’ means the parcel of approximately 2.161 
acres of land that is located in Jackson County, Mis-
sissippi, and identified as ‘‘VFW Exchange Area’’ on 
the Map. 
(4) POST.—The term ‘‘Post’’ means the Veterans 
of Foreign Wars Post 5699. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the National Park Service. 
SEC. 3. GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE LAND EX-
CHANGE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may convey to the 
Post all right, title, and interest of the United States in 
and to the Federal land in exchange for the conveyance by 
the Post to the Secretary of all right, title, and interest of 
the Post in and to the non-Federal land. 
(b) EQUAL VALUE EXCHANGE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The values of the Federal land 
and non-Federal land to be exchanged under this sec-
tion shall be equal, as determined by an appraisal 
conducted— 
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(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 Federal 
land and non-Federal land to be exchanged under this 
section are not equal, the values shall be equalized 
through— 
(A) a cash payment; or 
(B) adjustments to the acreage of the Fed-
eral land or non-Federal land to be exchanged, 
as applicable. 
(c) PAYMENT OF COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.— 
(1) PAYMENT REQUIRED.—As a condition of the 
exchange authorized under this section, the Secretary 
shall require the Post to pay the costs to be incurred 
by the Secretary, or to reimburse the Secretary for the 
costs incurred by the Secretary, to carry out the ex-
change, including— 
(A) survey costs; 
(B) any costs relating to environmental doc-
umentation; and 
(C) any other administrative costs relating 
to the land exchange. 
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(d) DESCRIPTION OF FEDERAL LAND AND NON-FED-
ERAL LAND.—The exact acreage and legal description of the 
Federal land and non-Federal land to be exchanged under 
this section shall be determined by surveys that are deter-
mined to be satisfactory by the Secretary and the Post. 
(e) CONVEYANCE AGREEMENT.—The exchange of Fed-
eral land and non-Federal land under this section shall 
be— 
(1) carried out through a quitclaim deed or other 
legal instrument; and 
(2) subject to such terms and conditions as are 
mutually satisfactory to the Secretary and the Post, 
including such additional terms and conditions as the 
Secretary considers to be appropriate to protect the 
interests of the United States. 
(f) VALID EXISTING RIGHTS.—The exchange of Fed-
eral land and non-Federal land authorized under this sec-
tion shall be subject to valid existing rights. 
(g) TITLE APPROVAL.—Title to the Federal land and 
non-Federal land to be exchanged under this section shall 
be in a form acceptable to the Secretary. 
(h) TREATMENT OF ACQUIRED LAND.—Any non-Fed-
eral land and interests in non-Federal land acquired by the 
United States under this section shall be administered by 
the Secretary as part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. 
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(i) MODIFICATION OF BOUNDARY.—On completion of 
the exchange of Federal land and non-Federal land under 
this section, the Secretary shall modify the boundary of the 
Gulf Islands National Seashore to reflect the exchange of 
Federal land and non-Federal land. 
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Calendar No. 376 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2615 
[Report No. 115–228] 
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. 
APRIL 11, 2018 
Reported with an amendment 
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