IB
Union Calendar No. 105
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 960
[Report No. 105–171]
To validate certain conveyances in the City of Tulare, Tulare County,
California, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 5, 1997
Mr. THOMAS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
JULY 8, 1997
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 in the City of Tulare, Tulare
County, 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. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that:
(1) It is in the Federal Government’s interest
to facilitate local development of jobs in areas of
high unemployment.
(2) Railroad interests in rights-of-way prevent
local communities from obtaining clear title to prop-
erty for redevelopment unless the city also obtains
the Federal reversionary interest in those rights-of-
way.
(3) The City of Tulare Redevelopment Agency
requires clear title to 12 parcels of land within the
city’s business corridor for development.
(4) The 12 parcels are part of a right-of-way.
(5) The Agency will be hindered in plans for de-
veloping the area or securing needed financing un-
less the Agency controls all 12 parcels.
SEC. 2. TULARE CONVEYANCE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, and subject to subsection (c), the following
conveyance is hereby validated to the extent that the con-
veyances 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 conveyance:
(1) Conveyance of parcels from the lands de-
scribed in subsection (b) made by the Southern Pa-
cific Transportation Company or its subsidiaries,
predecessors, successors, agents, or assigns, on or
before April 15, 1996.
(2) Conveyance of parcels from the lands de-
scribed in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b)
made after April 15, 1996, by the Southern Pacific
Transportation Company, or its successors, agents,
or assigns, to the Redevelopment Agency of the city
of Tulare.
(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 Southern Pacific Railroad Company,
or its successors, agents, or assigns, by the Federal
Government (including the right-of-way approved by
an Act of Congress on July 27, 1866); and
(2) 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, Cali-
fornia,
generally
depicted
on
the
map
entitled
‘‘Amended Urban Renewal Plan for California A–8–
1’’, dated March 7, 1989.
The map referred to in paragraph (2) shall be on file and
available for public inspection in the offices of the director
of the Bureau of Land Management.
(c) PRESERVATION OF EXISTING RIGHTS OF AC-
CESS.—Nothing in this section shall impair any existing
rights of access in favor of the public or any owner of
adjacent lands over, under or across the lands which are
referred to in subsection (a).
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that:
(1) It is in the Federal Government’s interest to
facilitate local development of jobs in areas of high
unemployment.
(2) Railroad interests in rights-of-way prevent
local communities from obtaining clear title to prop-
erty for development unless the city also obtains the
Federal reversionary interest in those rights-of-way.
(3) For development purposes, in order to secure
needed financing, the City of Tulare Redevelopment
Agency requires clear title to certain parcels of land
within the city’s business corridor that are part of a
railroad right-of-way.
SEC. 2. TULARE CONVEYANCE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsections (c) and (d),
all conveyances to the Redevelopment Agency of the City
of Tulare, California, of lands described in subsection (b),
heretofore or hereafter, made directly by the Southern Pa-
cific Transportation Company, or its successors, are hereby
validated to the extent that the conveyances would be legal
or valid if all right, title, and interest of the United States,
except minerals, were held by the Southern Pacific Trans-
portation Company.
(b) LANDS DESCRIBED.—The lands referred to in sub-
section (a) are the parcels shown on the map entitled
‘‘Tulare Redevelopment Agency-Railroad Parcels Proposed
to be Acquired’’, dated 5/29/97, that formed part of a rail-
road right-of-way granted to the Southern Pacific Railroad
Company, or its successors, agents, or assigns, by the Fed-
eral Government (including the right-of-way approved by
an Act of Congress on July 27, 1866). The map referred
to in this subsection shall be on file and available for public
inspection in the offices of the Director of the Bureau of
Land Management.
(c) PRESERVATION
OF EXISTING RIGHTS
OF AC-
CESS.—Nothing in this section shall impair any existing
rights of access in favor of the public or any owner of adja-
cent lands over, under or across the lands which are referred
to in subsection (a).
(d) MINERALS.—The United States disclaims any and
all right of surface entry to the mineral estate of lands de-
scribed in subsection (b).
Union Calendar No. 105
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 960
[Report No. 105–171]
A BILL
To validate certain conveyances in the City of
Tulare, Tulare County, California, and for other
purposes.
JULY 8, 1997
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Commit-
tee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and
ordered to be printed