• OFFICIAL TITLE AS INTRODUCED:
  A bill to establish fair market value pricing of Federal natural assets, and for other purposes.

***NONE***

House Actions

Jun 15, 99:

Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Jun 28, 99:

Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture.

Jun 28, 99:

Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.

Jun 28, 99:

Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Resource Conservation and Credit.

Jun 15, 99:

Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Jun 25, 99:

Referred to Departments of Agriculture and the Interior for comments.

Jun 25, 99:

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Jun 25, 99:

Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands.

Jun 25, 99:

Referred to the Subcommittee on Water and Power.

Jun 25, 99:

Referred to the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health.

• COMMITTEE(S) OF REFERRAL:
  House Resources
  House Agriculture
  House Budget

• SUBCOMMITTEE(S):
  Hsc Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry
  Hsc General Farm Commodities, Resource Conservation and Credit
  Hsc Livestock and Horticulture
  Hsc Energy and Mineral Resources
  Hsc National Parks and Public Lands
  Hsc Water and Power
  Hsc Forests and Forest Health

***NONE***

(AS INTRODUCED)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Title I: General Provisions
• Title II: Hardrock Mining Royalties
• Title III: Use or Disposal of Federal Natural Resources

Public Resources Debt Reduction Act of 1999 - Title I: General Provisions - Prohibits the sale, lease or any other disposal of a Federally owned natural resource for less than fair market value, including water and hydroelectric energy generated at a Federal facility. Grandfathers existing contracts, leases, and similar arrangements which would otherwise violate this prohibition.

(Sec. 101) Authorizes the President to waive such prohibition in the national interest.

(Sec. 102) Authorizes the Secretaries of Agriculture and of the Interior to establish and collect fees from program beneficiaries under their respective jurisdictions in order to recover the Federal expenses of program administration.

Mandates that such Secretaries collect fees from each person receiving a transfer of a Federal onshore oil and gas lease after the date of enactment of this Act.

(Sec. 103) Directs the President to include in the annual submission of the budget to Congress: (1) projected revenues from anticipated sales, leases, or transfers of physical assets; and (2) the estimated price at which comparable assets would be sold in an arms length transaction in the private sector.

Title II: Hardrock Mining Royalties - Requires the payment of a royalty to the Federal Government of five percent of the net smelter return from the production of locatable minerals (including associated minerals), or mineral concentrates derived from locatable minerals, produced from any mining claim located under the general mining laws. Establishes the Abandoned Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund, into which all such royalty receipts shall be deposited for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past minerals activities (other than coal and fluid minerals activities). Identifies the kinds of land and waters eligible for reclamation expenditures. Authorizes appropriations for the Fund.

(Sec. 203) Restricts the issuance of any patents for mining or mill site claims to those for which applications were filed, and all statutory requirements governing vein or lode claims, placer claims, and mill site claims were complied with, before September 30, 1994.

(Sec. 204) Sets forth annual claim maintenance fee requirements (which shall not apply to oil shale claims subject to claim maintenance fees under the Energy Policy Act of 1992).

Title III: Use or Disposal of Federal Natural Resources - Amends the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to direct: (1) the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to establish a fair market value- based annual livestock grazing fee for National Forest System lands in the 16 contiguous Western States (except National Grasslands); and (2) the Secretary of the Interior to establish a similar grazing fee for Bureau of Land Management lands.

Sets forth the fair market value formula.

(Sec. 302) Amends the National Forest Management Act of 1976 to prohibit below-cost timber sales from National Forest System lands.

(Sec. 303) Amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 to revise timberland suitability provisions for National Forest System land and resource management plan purposes.

(Sec. 304) Amends the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to require contract organizations to pay crop production water costs on production flexibility contract acreage.

(Sec. 305) Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 and the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to reduce maximum price support payments and noninsured crop disaster payments, respectively, to reflect receipt of Federal irrigation water.

(Sec. 306) Amends the Knutson-Vandenberg Act and Federal law to replace the requirement that certain National Forest timber purchase deposits constitute special funds in the Treasury with authorization of appropriations language.

Amends the Forest Roads and Trails Act with respect to right-of- way fees to replace discretionary fund language with authorization of appropriations language.

Amends Federal law to authorize the Secretary to obligate Reforestation Trust Fund amounts subject to prior appropriations.

(Sec. 307) Amends the Taylor Grazing Act to eliminate certain grazing fee allocation provisions.

(Sec. 308) Amends the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988 to repeal the livestock feed assistance program.

(Sec. 309) Requires right-of-way holders on public or National Forest lands to pay annual fair market value-based fees.

(Sec. 310) Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to provide for oil and gas rental fair market value-based fees.

(Sec. 311) Amends the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Simplification and Fairness Act of 1996 to authorize specified assessments for royalty under reporting of Federal or Indian oil or gas leases.