Title: Escambia County Land Conveyance Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Escambia County Land Conveyance Act
This bill authorizes Escambia County, Florida, to convey its interest in any part of the former Santa Rosa Island National Monument land that was conveyed to it by the federal government in 1947 to any person or entity, without restriction.
The bill prohibits any person or entity holding a leasehold interest in such land from being required to involuntarily accept a fee interest to such land in place of the leasehold interest.
The bill conditions such conveyance on requirements that: (1) all interest of Escambia County in any part of such land that is within the jurisdictional boundaries of Santa Rosa County, Florida, must be conveyed to Santa Rosa County within two years of the enactment of this bill; and (2) Escambia County must preserve in perpetuity the areas of the conveyed monument land that, as of this bill's enactment, are dedicated for conservation, preservation, public recreation access, and public parking. Santa Rosa County shall assume ownership of the non-federal land conveyed to it free of such restrictions.
Santa Rosa County or any other person to whom such county reconveys such land may reconvey any part of it. Any proceeds from the conveyance of such land by either county shall be considered to be windfall profits that shall revert to the United States.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2370 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2370

To authorize Escambia County, Florida, to convey certain property that 
 was formerly part of Santa Rosa Island National Monument and that was 
    conveyed to Escambia County subject to restrictions on use and 
                             reconveyance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 4, 2017

  Mr. Gaetz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize Escambia County, Florida, to convey certain property that 
 was formerly part of Santa Rosa Island National Monument and that was 
    conveyed to Escambia County subject to restrictions on use and 
                             reconveyance.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Escambia County Land Conveyance 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) County.--The term ``County'' means Escambia County, 
        Florida.
            (2) Non-federal land.--The term ``non-Federal land'' means 
        the former Santa Rosa Island National Monument land in the 
        State that was conveyed by the United States to the County 
        under the Act of July 30, 1946 (60 Stat. 712, chapter 699), and 
        by deed dated January 15, 1947.
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Florida.

SEC. 3. RECONVEYANCE OF NON-FEDERAL LAND TO ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding the restrictions on conveyance in 
the Act of July 30, 1946 (60 Stat. 712, chapter 699), and the deed to 
the non-Federal land from the United States to the County dated January 
15, 1947, and subject to subsections (c) through (g), the County may 
convey all right, title, and interest of the County in and to the non-
Federal land or any portion of the non-Federal land, to any person or 
entity, without any restriction on conveyance or reconveyance imposed 
by the United States in that Act or deed.
    (b) Effect on Leasehold Interests.--No person or entity holding a 
leasehold interest in the non-Federal land as of the date of enactment 
of this Act shall be required to involuntarily accept a fee interest to 
the non-Federal land in place of the leasehold interest in the non-
Federal land.
    (c) Conveyance of Land Within Santa Rosa County, Florida.--
            (1) In general.--As a condition of the authority granted to 
        the County to convey the non-Federal land under subsection (a), 
        all right, title, and interest of the County in and to any 
        portion of the non-Federal land that is within the 
        jurisdictional boundaries of Santa Rosa County, Florida, shall 
        be conveyed by the County to Santa Rosa County, Florida, by the 
        date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
            (2) Requirements.--A conveyance under paragraph (1) shall--
                    (A) be absolute;
                    (B) terminate--
                            (i) any subjugation of Santa Rosa County, 
                        Florida, to the County; or
                            (ii) any regulation of Santa Rosa County, 
                        Florida, by the County; and
                    (C) be without consideration, except that the 
                County may require Santa Rosa County, Florida, to pay 
                the actual costs associated with the conveyance of the 
                non-Federal land to Santa Rosa County, Florida.
            (3) Assumption of ownership; imposition of restrictions.--
        On conveyance of the non-Federal land to Santa Rosa County, 
        Florida, under paragraph (1), Santa Rosa County, Florida--
                    (A) shall assume ownership of the non-Federal land 
                free of the restrictions on the non-Federal land 
                described in subsection (g); and
                    (B) may establish any lawful restrictions on, or 
                criteria for the reconveyance of, the non-Federal land 
                to any leaseholder of the non-Federal land.
            (4) Reconveyance.--Santa Rosa County, Florida, or any other 
        person to whom Santa Rosa County, Florida, reconveys the non-
        Federal land may reconvey the non-Federal land or any portion 
        of the non-Federal land conveyed to Santa Rosa County, Florida, 
        under paragraph (1).
    (d) Incorporation or Annexation.--An owner or leaseholder of the 
non-Federal land conveyed under this section may pursue incorporation, 
annexation, or any other governmental status for the non-Federal land, 
if the owner or leaseholder complies with the legal conditions required 
for incorporation, annexation, or the other governmental status.
    (e) Jurisdiction.--The non-Federal land shall be subject to the 
jurisdiction of the county or unit of local government in which the 
non-Federal land is located.
    (f) Proceeds.--Any proceeds from the conveyance of the non-Federal 
land by the County or Santa Rosa County, Florida (other than amounts 
paid for the direct and incidental costs associated with the 
conveyance), under this section shall--
            (1) be considered to be windfall profits; and
            (2) revert to the United States.
    (g) Preservation.--As a condition of the grant of the authority to 
convey the non-Federal land under subsection (a), the County shall 
preserve in perpetuity the areas of the non-Federal land that, as of 
the date of enactment of this Act, are dedicated for conservation, 
preservation, public recreation access, and public parking, in 
accordance with any resolutions of the Board of Commissioners of the 
County.
    (h) Determination of Compliance.--The County and Santa Rosa County, 
Florida--
            (1) except as provided in subsection (c)(1), shall not be 
        subject to a deadline or requirement to make any conveyance or 
        reconveyance of the non-Federal land authorized under this 
        section; and
            (2) may establish terms for the conveyance or reconveyance 
        of the non-Federal land authorized under this section, subject 
        to this Act and applicable State law.
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