A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands near Miles City, Montana, and to remove certain reservations from prior conveyances.
PL 97-401 (S.187), enacted 12/31/1982

96 STAT. 2018 
PUBLIC LAW 97-401—DEC. 31, 1982 
Public Law 97-401 
97th Congress 
An Act 
Dec. 31, 1982 
[S. 187] 
Miles City, Mont. 
Lands, 
conveyances. 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands near Miles City, 
Montana, and to remove certain reservations from prior conveyances. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) the Secre-
tary of the Interior (hereafter in this Act referred to as the "Secre-
tary") shall convey by patent to the city of Miles City, Montana 
(hereafter, referred to as the "city"), all right, title, and interest, 
except for those interests described in subsection (b) of this section, 
of the United States in and to the following lands in Custer County, 
Montana, in range 47 east of the principal meridian, Montana: In 
township 8 north, lots 9, 17, 21, 28, 31, and 32 in section 32 and in 
townships 7 and 8 north, tract Q and tract S. 
(b) Any patent issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section 
shall contain a reservation to the United States of all gas, oil, coal, 
and other minerals that may be found in such lands, and the right 
to prospect for, mine, and remove such minerals, and that patents 
shall also contain any other reservations required by law. 
(c) Any patent issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section 
shall provide that if the land is transferred or conveyed by the city, 
the proceeds of such sale shall be paid to the United States, to be 
distributed in accordance with section 4 of this Act. 
SEC. 2. (a) The Secretary shall take such actions as are necessary 
to convey to the city the reversionary interests of the United States 
contained in the patents which conveyed to the city of Miles City, 
Montana, the lands described in subsection (b) of this section. Such 
reversionary interests arise when the patentee/grantee violates 
provisions which (1) require that such lands be used for specified 
purposes, or (2) prohibit transfer of such lands by the patentee/ 
grantee. All documents of conveyance issued under this subsection 
shall provide that if the land is conveyed by the city, the proceeds of 
sale shall be paid to the United States, to be distributed in accord-
ance with section 4 of this Act. 
(b) The lands referred to in subsection (a) of this section are the 
following tracts in range 47 east of the principal meridian, Montana: 
In townships 7 and 8 north, tracts A and B (conveyed by patent 
numbered 1,021,511), tracts E and F (conveyed by patent numbered 
1,122,295), tract G (conveyed by patent numbered 1,173,770), tract K 
(conveyed by patent numbered 1,173,768), tract L (conveyed by 
patent numbered 1,173,769), tract M (conveyed by patent numbered 
1,178,764), tract P (conveyed by patent numbered 1,219,817), and 
tract D (conveyed by the grant made by the Act of July SO, 1890 (26 
Stat. 292), lots 16 and 17, section 33 (conveyed by patent numbered 
25-81-0094). 
SEC. 3. (a) The Secretary shall take such actions as are necessary 
to convey to the holder of the patent the reversionary interests of 
the United States contained in the patents which conveyed to the 
county of Custer, Montana, the lands described in subsection Ot)) of 
PUBLIC LAW 97-401—DEC. 31, 1982 
96 STAT. 2019 
this section. Such reversionary interests arise when the patentee 
violates provisions which (1) require that such lands be used for 
specified purposes, or (2) prohibit transfer of such lands by the 
patentee. All documents of conveyance issued under this subsection 
shall provide that if the land is conveyed by the patentee, the 
proceeds of such sale shall be paid to the United States, to be 
distributed in accordance with section 4 of this Act. 
(b) The lands referred to in subsection (a) are the following parcels 
in range 47 east of the principal meridian, Montana: In townships 7 
and 8 north, tract C (conveyed by patent numbered 1,023,689) and 
tract T (conveyed by patent numbered 25-76-0099), and in town-
ship 8 north, lot 20 in section 33 (conveyed by patent numbered 
25-76-0100). 
SEC. 4. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the city 
or any other patentee or grantee transfers any lands described in 
this Act, such transfer shall be at fair market value for the land and 
improvements thereon. 
(b) Proceeds from the sale of the land, excluding the value of any 
improvements on the land and less any sums paid to the United 
States at the time of original conveyance out of Federal ownership, 
shall be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury of the United 
States, to be distributed as follows: At the end of each Federal fiscal 
year, the United States shall return 5 per centum of the net receipts 
collected in that fiscal year from the sale of lands described in this 
Act to the State of Montana, and 10 per centum of such receipts to 
the county or the city in which the lands are located in amounts 
proportional to the receipts generated from the sale of such land in 
each county or city during the fiscal year. 
SEC. 5. All documents of conveyance issued pursuant to this Act 
shall be subject to valid existing rights. 
Approved December 31, 1982. 
Fair market 
value. 
Sale proceeds, 
distribution. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 187: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 97-904 (Comm. on Interior and Insular Affairs). 
SENATE REPORT No. 97-181 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 127 (1981): Sept. 22, considered and passed Senate. 
Vol. 128 (1982): Sept. 30, considered and passed House, amended. 
Dec. 17, Senate concurred in House amendment.