A bill to resolve the boundary conflicts in Barry and Stone Counties in the State of Missouri.
Public Law 108-279 · S. 1167 · 108th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Jul 22, 2004 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Jim Talent
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Establishes procedures for resolving the status of Federal land in Barry and Stone Counties, Missouri, claimed by private property owners based on land surveys subsequent to the Public Land Survey System land surveys upon which the original land patents were issued. Directs the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of Agriculture to rectify boundary conflicts and landownership claims against Federal lands resulting from subsequent Federal land surveys and correctly reestablish the corners of the System in such counties and to attempt to do so in a manner that imposes the least cost and inconvenience to affected private landowners. Requires qualifying claimants to submit notice and information relating to the claim of ownership of the Federal lands to the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of Agriculture (as appropriate) within 15 years of enactment of this Act.
Authorizes the appropriate Secretary, in addition to using existing authorities, to take any of the following actions to resolve boundary conflicts: (1) convey by quitclaim deed right, title, and interest in the disputed Federal land; (2) if there are Federal interests in such land, confirm Federal title to it and retain it in Federal management; and (3) compensate the qualifying claimant where title is confirmed and retained pursuant to item (2).
Requires conveyance of land under this Act without consideration. Requires the appropriate Secretary to pay costs (of such Secretary's Department) associated with the resolution of boundary disputes pursuant to this Act and to reimburse qualifying claimants for survey costs necessary to establish a claim. Makes the appropriate Secretary responsible for compensation provided as a result of subsequent Federal land surveys conducted or commissioned by such Secretary's Department.
Provides that the requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act regarding the transfer of real property by Federal agencies which is owned by the United States and on which any hazardous substance was stored for at least a year and was known to have been released or disposed of shall not apply to conveyances or transfers of jurisdiction pursuant to this Act, but the United States shall continue to be liable for cleanup costs of any hazardous substances on the lands so conveyed or transferred if the contamination by such substances is caused by Federal actions.
Establishes rules for the treatment of preexisting conditions, existing reservations, and existing rights and uses.
Authorizes appropriations.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 2304Related bill
To resolve boundary conflicts in the vicinity of the Mark Twain National Forest in Barry and Stone Counties, Missouri, that resulted from private landowner reliance on a subsequent Federal survey, and for other purposes.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.
- Jul 22, 2004Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-279.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 21, 2004FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jul 12, 2004FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1167.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Burns moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- May 20, 2004FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- May 19, 2004FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The title amendment was withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Mar 9, 2004CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 444.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 108-234.
- Feb 11, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Nov 18, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 108-321.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 2, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7195)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.