,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cbe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #d1       
#bjai,mr4 ,hoeven 7for himself and ,mr4 
,cramer7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,energy and ,natural     
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the  
,secretary of the ,interior to convey   
the ,garrison ,diversion ,unit ,project 
,oakes ,test ,area in ,dickey ,county1  
,north ,dakota1 to the ,dickey-,sargent 
,irrigation ,district1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,garrison ,diversion
 ,unit ,project ,oakes ,test ,area      
,conveyance ,act of #bjai4  #b4         
,conveyance of the ,oakes ,test ,area of
 the ,garrison ,diversion ,unit         
,project1 ,north ,dakota  7a7           
,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7    
,agreement ,the term ,agreement means a 
title transfer agreement between the    
,united ,states and the ,district-- 7,a7
 to determine the legal1 operational1   

institutional1 and financial terms      
related to the conveyance of the ,oakes 
,test ,area as required under subsection
 7b72 and  7,b7 to be entered into      
pursuant to the memorandum of agreement 
entitled ,memorandum of ,agreement      
,between ,united ,states of ,america    
,department of the ,interior ,bureau of 
,reclamation and ,dickey-,sargent       
,irrigation ,district for the ,purpose  
of ,defining ,roles and                 
,responsibilities for ,actions ,required
 to ,prepare for ,title ,transfer of    
,certain ,facilities1 ,land1 and        
,appurtenances at the ,garrison         
,diversion ,unit ,project ,oakes ,test  
,area1 dated ,december #ah1 #bjah1 and  
numbered #ai;,,ag#fbjjcc4  7#b7         
,district ,the term ,district means the 
,dickey-,sargent ,irrigation ,district4 
7#c7 ,oakes ,test ,area ,the term ,oakes
 ,test ,area means the facilities1 land1
 and appurtenances of the approximately 
#e1jjj-;acre prototype irrigation test  
area authorized as part of the ,garrison

 ,diversion ,unit ,project in the ,james
 ,river ,basin1 as described in the     
,agreement4  7#d7 ,secretary ,the term  
,secretary means the ,secretary of the  
,interior4  7b7 ,conveyance to ,district
 ,as soon as practicable after the date 
of enactment of this ,act1 the          
,secretary shall convey to the ,district
 all right1 title1 and interest of the  
,united ,states in and to the ,oakes    
,test ,area1 consistent with the terms  
and conditions of the ,agreement4  7c7  
,liability  7#a7 ,in general ,effective 
on the date of conveyance to the        
,district of the ,oakes ,test ,area     
under this section1 the ,united ,states 
shall not be held liable by any court   
for damages of any kind arising out of  
any act1 omission1 or occurrence        
relating to the ,oakes ,test ,area1     
except for damages caused by acts of    
negligence committed by the ,united     
,states or by an employee or agent of   
the ,united ,states prior to the date of
 conveyance4  7#b7 ,applicable law      

,nothing in this section increases the  
liability of the ,united ,states beyond 
the liability provided in chapter #aga  
of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code     
7commonly known as the ,federal ,tort   
,claims ,act71 on the date of enactment 
of this ,act4  7d7 ,benefits ,after the 
conveyance of the ,oakes ,test ,area to 
the ,district under this section-- 7#a7 
the ,oakes ,test ,area shall not be     
considered to be a part of a ,federal   
reclamation project2 and  7#b7 the      
,district shall not be eligible to      
receive any benefits with respect to any
 facility comprising that ,oakes ,test  
,area1 other than benefits that would be
 available to a similarly situated      
person with respect to a facility that  
is not part of a ,federal reclamation   
project4  7e7 ,communication ,if the    
,secretary has not completed the        
conveyance required under subsection 7b7
 by the date that is #a year after the  
date of enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary shall submit to ,congress a  

letter with sufficient detail that--    
7#a7 explains the reasons the conveyance
 has not been completed2 and  7#b7      
specifies the date by which the         
conveyance will be completed4