A bill to supplement and clarify the Federal reclamation laws, to promote the settlement of family farmers in Federal irrigation projects, to provide for acreage equivalency between class 1 lands and lands of lesser productive capability.
Reclamation Lands Family Farm Act - Title I: Findings, Purposes, Definitions - States the purpose of this Act and defines terms used herein.
Title II: Acreage Limitations and Equivalency - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, for purposes of administering the reclamation laws, to change the 160 acre limitation to 160 acres of class one land or its equivalent in lands of lesser productivity, provided that in no case such acreage exceeds 240. Permits each qualified purchaser to purchase 160 additional acres for each dependent.
Title III: Excess Lands and Irrigation Rights - States that one year after the date of enactment of this Act water from any reclamation projects may only be delivered to project lands which comprise a family farm or which fall under specified categories.
Provides for the disposition of excess reclamation project lands.
Title IV: Repayment of Project Costs - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to stipulate in any water right contract that all rates and assessments to be paid by the contracting entity or individual landowners shall be renegotiated every five years.
Title V: Leasing of Certain Excess Lands - Authorizes the Secretary to purchase excess lands to be leased to those family farmers unable to purchase lands in reclamation projects and to lease agricultural excess land owned by the Navy at Lemoore Naval Air Station to family farmers.
Title VI: Miscellaneous - Adds miscellaneous provisions to this Act including a requirement that explanations of the programs of this Act be freely available to the public.
Introduced in Senate
Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
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