I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3855 
To raise funds necessary to respond to Hurricane Katrina and future disasters 
by selling a portion of the lands administered by the Forest Service 
and the Department of the Interior, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 21, 2005 
Mr. TANCREDO (for himself, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mrs. CUBIN, 
Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mr. PITTS, Mr. FEENEY, Mr. AKIN, Mrs. 
MYRICK, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. POE, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, 
and Mr. OTTER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agri-
culture and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To raise funds necessary to respond to Hurricane Katrina 
and future disasters by selling a portion of the lands 
administered by the Forest Service 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, 
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SECTION 1. SALE OF NATIONAL FOREST AND DEPARTMENT 
OF THE INTERIOR LANDS TO RAISE FUNDS 
FOR DISASTER RELIEF. 
(a) SALE OF NATIONAL FOREST LANDS.—The Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall select 15 percent of the lands 
included in the National Forest System (as defined in sec-
tion 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Re-
sources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a))) and 
convey all right, title, and interest of the United States 
in and to the selected lands by public sale. 
(b) SALE
OF
DEPARTMENT
OF
THE
INTERIOR 
LANDS.—The Secretary of the Interior shall identify 15 
percent of the lands managed by agencies of the Depart-
ment of the Interior (excluding lands in units of the Na-
tional Park System established by Act of Congress and 
lands held for the benefit of an Indian tribe) and convey 
all right, title, and interest of the United States in and 
to the identified lands by public sale. 
(c) PRIORITY LOCATIONS.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture and the Secretary of the Interior shall place an 
emphasis on identifying lands for sale under this section 
in those States where the United States owns more than 
15 percent of the total land area. 
(d) COMMENCEMENT OF SALES.—The Secretary of 
Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall com-
plete the identification of Federal lands under this section 
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and commence the sale of such lands not later than Octo-
ber 1, 2006. The land sales shall proceed without regard 
to any other provision of law. 
(e) TREATMENT OF PROCEEDS.—All proceeds from 
the sale of Federal lands under this section (other than 
amounts retained to cover the administrative costs in-
curred solely to conduct the sales) shall be deposited in 
the special account established under subsection (f). 
(f) DISASTER RESPONSE AND RELIEF FUND.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 
the Treasury a special account to be known as the 
‘‘Disaster Response and Relief Fund’’. 
(2) INVESTMENT.—Pending the need to use the 
special account for the purposes specified in sub-
section (g), the Secretary of the Treasury shall man-
age amounts in the special account to maximize the 
return to the United States. Interest on investments 
shall also be deposited in the special account. 
(g) USE
OF
FUND
FOR
DISASTER
RELIEF.— 
Amounts in the special account shall be available only for 
appropriation to cover or defray the costs of responding 
to a natural disaster or terrorist attack in an area covered 
by a disaster declaration made by the President under the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assist-
ance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). 
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