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115th Congress } { Rept. 115-619
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { Part 1
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SOUTHEAST ALASKA REGIONAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM LAND TRANSFER ACT OF 2017
_______
April 5, 2018.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted
the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 825]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (S. 825) to provide for the conveyance of certain
property to the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium
located in Sitka, Alaska, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment
and recommend that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of S. 825 is to provide for the conveyance of
certain property to the Southeast Alaska Regional Health
Consortium located in Sitka, Alaska.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) is
a non-profit consortium comprised of 18 Southeast Alaska Native
communities, and is among the oldest and most expansive
tribally-maintained healthcare organizations in the country.
The service area is more than 35,000 square miles across the
State of Alaska, with 28 community health clinic sites and one
hospital to serve Alaska Natives.
Founded in 1975, SEARHC began by assuming management of the
Community Health Aide Program for Natives in Alaska through a
compact with the Indian Health Service (IHS) under Title V of
Indian Self-Determination Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5304 et seq.). In 1982, SEARHC took control of the IHS Juneau
clinic, and in 1986 it assumed responsibility over the Mt.
Edgecumbe Hospital in Sitka, Alaska.
The Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital is a 25-bed critical access
hospital that was constructed during the latter half of World
War II. As a hospital that served almost 47,000 outpatients in
2016, the 67-year-old facility is in poor condition and in need
of upgrading to more adequately provide better healthcare
services.
Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital is located on a 19.07-acre parcel of
land owned by the Department of Health and Human Services, but
SEARHC runs and operates the hospital and the grounds. Without
full and clear title to the land, SEARHC cannot make necessary
upgrades.
Although IHS is not opposed to the transfer and can
transfer the land through a quitclaim deed, Congressional
action is necessary to facilitate the transfer through a
warranty deed. Because a warranty deed provides the guarantee
to clear and full title, SEARHC can more easily secure private
equity funding to make necessary improvements to the hospital
campus than it can with property conveyed by a quitclaim deed.
COMMITTEE ACTION
S. 825 was introduced on April 4, 2017, by Senator Lisa
Murkowski (R-AK). The Senate passed the bill by unanimous
consent on November 29, 2017. In the House of Representatives,
the bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and
additionally to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. On
December 12, 2017, the Natural Resources Committee met to
consider the bill. No amendments were offered, and the bill was
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by
unanimous consent on December 13, 2017.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, January 29, 2018.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 825, the Southeast
Alaska Regional Health Consortium Land Transfer Act of 2017.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Robert
Stewart.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall,
Director.
Enclosure.
S. 825--Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Land Transfer Act
of 2017
S. 825 would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human
Services (HHS) to convey a parcel of land in Sitka, Alaska, to
the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SARHC). The
conveyances would be made by a warranty deed, which is a type
of deed that guarantees a clear title to the new owner of the
property.
The Indian Self-Determination and Education Act (ISDEAA)
allows tribal entities to assume responsibility for providing
health care services funded by the Indian Health Service (IHS).
The SARHC is a non-profit health care consortium that operates
facilities under the ISDEAA in 20 communities throughout
Southeast Alaska. According to IHS, SARHC currently does not
pay rent or any other remuneration to IHS for the use of the
land to be transferred. Consequently, CBO estimates that
enacting S. 825 would not have a significant effect on the
federal budget.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 825 would not affect direct
spending or revenues, therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do
not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting the S. 825 would not increase
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
S. 825 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Robert Stewart.
The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Assistant Director
for Budget Analysis.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to provide for the conveyance of
certain property to the Southeast Alaska Regional Health
Consortium located in Sitka, Alaska.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5
Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any
directed rule makings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing
law.
[all]
