YourVoice.Now Summary
Releases federal claims on a small Tennessee parcel to fix a church that encroaches 19 inches onto state forest land.
The details
A survey found that Bethel Baptist Church in Chester County, Tennessee, sits about 19 inches over the line onto state-owned forest land. The federal government holds a reversionary interest in that parcel, meaning the land could revert to federal control if it stops being used for public purposes. This bill would release that federal interest and hand the government's mineral rights to Tennessee, letting the state resolve the encroachment on the roughly 0.62-acre parcel. The transfer would skip the usual appraisal, mineral survey, and environmental review. Tennessee would pay the government's administrative costs.
Congressional Summary
This bill provides for the transfer of the Forest Service's interest in the approximately 0.62-acre parcel of land within the Chickasaw State Forest to the state of Tennessee in order to resolve the encroachment of Bethel Baptist Church on that parcel. Both the parcel and the church are located in Chester County, Tennessee.On August 12, 1955, the Forest Service conveyed the parcel to the state but retained a reversionary interest in the land that takes effect if the state forest land ceases to be used for public purposes. The bill directs the Forest Service to release the reversionary interest to the state.Additionally, the Forest Service must convey to the state its mineral interest in the parcel. The conveyance must be done by quitclaim deed and without warranty or consideration (such as payment).As a condition of the release and the conveyance, the state must pay for any administrative costs incurred by the Forest Service in carrying out the release and conveyance. The Forest Service must release the reversionary interest and convey the parcel without undertaking any appraisal, environmental review, or other report.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Reported to Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-10-27
- Date Added
- 2026-07-22
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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