[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1648 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.1648

                       One Hundred Eighth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
           the twentieth day of January, two thousand and four


                                 An Act


 
   To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain water 
    distribution systems of the Cachuma Project, California, to the 
   Carpinteria Valley Water District and the Montecito Water District.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Carpinteria and Montecito Water 
Distribution Systems Conveyance Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS OF THE CACHUMA 
              PROJECT, CALIFORNIA.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior--
        (1) may convey to the Carpinteria Valley Water District, 
    located in Santa Barbara County, California, all right, title, and 
    interest of the United States in and to the Carpinteria 
    Distribution System of the Cachuma Project, California, consistent 
    with the terms and conditions set forth in the agreement entitled 
    ``Agreement Between the United States and the Carpinteria Valley 
    Water District to Transfer Title to the Federally Owned 
    Distribution System to the Carpinteria Valley Water District'' 
    (Agreement No. 00-XC-20-0364); and
        (2) may convey to the Montecito Water District, located in 
    Santa Barbara County, California, all right, title, and interest of 
    the United States in and to the Montecito Water Distribution System 
    of the Cachuma Project, California, consistent with the terms and 
    conditions set forth in the agreement entitled ``Agreement Between 
    the United States and the Montecito Water District to Transfer 
    Title to the Federally Owned Distribution System to the Montecito 
    Water District'' (Agreement No. 01-XC-20-0365).
    (b) Liability.--Effective upon the date of conveyance of a 
distribution system under this section, the United States shall not be 
held liable by any court for damages of any kind arising out of any 
act, omission, or occurrence relating to the distribution system, 
except for damages caused by acts of negligence committed by the United 
States or by its employees or agents prior to the date of conveyance. 
Nothing in this section increases the liability of the United States 
beyond that provided in chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code 
(popularly known as the Federal Tort Claims Act) on the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    (c) Benefits.--After conveyance of a water distribution system to 
the Carpinteria Valley Water District or the Montecito Water District 
under this section--
        (1) such water distribution system shall not be considered to 
    be a part of a Federal reclamation project; and
        (2) such water district shall not be eligible to receive any 
    benefits with respect to any facility comprising that distribution 
    system, except benefits that would be available to a similarly 
    situated person with respect to such a facility that is not part of 
    a Federal reclamation project.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.