To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease certain lands in Virgin Islands National Park, and for other purposes.
Public Law 111-261 · H.R. 714 · 111th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Oct 8, 2010 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Donna Christensen (D-VI)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, if the long-term benefit to the Virgin Islands National Park would be greater by entering into a lease than by authorizing a concession contract, to enter into a lease with the owner of the retained use estate for the operation and management of the Caneel Bay resort on the island in the Park.
Allows the Secretary to acquire associated property.
Sets forth the terms and conditions for the lease authorized by this Act, including provisions ensuring protection of the natural, cultural, and historic features of the resort and associated property, consistent with the laws and policies applicable to property managed by the National Park Service (NPS).
Instructs the Secretary, in determining the fair market value rental of the lease, to take into consideration: (1) the value of any associated property conveyed; and (2) the value, if any, of the relinquished term of the retained use estate.
Makes rental amounts paid to the United States under the lease available for visitor services and resource protection within the Virgin Islands National Park.
Requires the Secretary to submit a proposed lease to Congress at least 60 days before the award of the lease.
Prohibits the extension or renewal of a lease entered into under this Act.
Requires, upon the termination of such a lease, that if the Secretary determines the continuation of commercial services at the resort to be appropriate, such services shall be provided in accordance with the National Park Service Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998.
Requires the owner of the retained use estate to terminate, extinguish, and relinquish to the Secretary all rights under the retained use estate and transfer, without consideration, ownership of improvements on the retained use estate to the NPS.
Requires an appraisal that is agreed to by the Secretary and the owner to determine the value, if any, of the relinquished term of the retained use estate, to be conducted in accordance with this Act.
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: National Parks 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
The record lists no related bills.
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. 25 actions.
- Oct 8, 2010Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-261.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 30, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 28, 2010Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mrs. Christensen moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments to H.R. 714.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
- May 14, 2010FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- May 13, 2010FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 2, 2010CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 296.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with amendments. With written report No. 111-146.
- Dec 16, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
- Jul 15, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Feb 24, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Feb 23, 2009FloorFloor · 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 H.R. 714.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Bordallo moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Feb 4, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
- Jan 27, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
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.