00                       CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 146(FIN)                                                                    
01 "An Act relating to the Alaska Railroad Corporation; and providing for an effective                                     
02 date."                                                                                                                  
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section                          
05 to read:                                                                                                                
06       FINDINGS. The legislature finds that the 2003 repeal by the United States Congress                                
07 of the reversion language of 45 U.S.C. 1208(c) and 1209 (Alaska Railroad Transfer Act)                                  
08 resulted in future retention by the Alaska Railroad Corporation and the State of Alaska of a                            
09 railroad right-of-way that abutting landowners along the Alaska Railroad Corporation's                                  
10 Eielson Spur had a reasonable expectation would be conveyed to them if the Alaska Railroad                              
11 Corporation and the State of Alaska discontinued use of the land within the right-of-way. This                          
12 legislation is intended to replace the reversionary rights of the abutting landowners that were                         
13 repealed by the United States Congress in 2003.                                                                         
14    * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
01 read:                                                                                                                   
02       DISPOSITION OF RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY TO PROPERTY OWNERS                                                           
03 ALONG THE EIELSON SPUR LINE. (a) If the State of Alaska and the Alaska Railroad                                         
04 Corporation discontinue use of the right-of-way along the Alaska Railroad Corporation's                                 
05 Eielson Spur Line, the interest of the State of Alaska and the Alaska Railroad Corporation in                           
06 the land shall revert to the abutting landowners. The State of Alaska and the Alaska Railroad                           
07 Corporation shall be considered to have discontinued use under this subsection when                                     
08            (1)  the governor delivers to the abutting landowners a notice of                                            
09 discontinuance, including a legal description of the property subject to the notice and a                               
10 quitclaim deed thereto; or                                                                                              
11            (2)  the State of Alaska and the Alaska Railroad Corporation have made no use                                
12 of the right-of-way for a continuous period of 18 years for transportation, communication, or                           
13 transmission purposes.                                                                                                  
14       (b)  On reversion under (a)(2) of this section, the State of Alaska and the Alaska                                
15 Railroad Corporation shall, on request, convey by quitclaim deed all of their rights, title, and                        
16 interest in the reverted right-of-way to the abutting landowners. When land abutting the                                
17 reverted right-of-way is owned by different persons or entities, the conveyance made under                              
18 this section shall extend the property of each abutting landowner to the centerline of the right-                       
19 of-way.                                                                                                                 
20       (c)  This section constitutes legislative approval under AS 42.40.285(1) for the Alaska                           
21 Railroad Corporation to convey its entire interest in the land described in (a) of this section.                        
22    * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).