Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 96 Part 2.djvu/1209

 PUBLIC LAW 97-468—JAN. 14, 1983

96 STAT. 2571

"12(b)(ll). Notwithstanding the provisions of section 906 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and section 6(i) of 43 USC 1635. the Alaska Statehood Act (72 Stat. 339): 48 USC note "(i) The State is hereby authorized to convey to the United P'"®^- 21. States for reconveyance to the Region, and the Secretary is directed to accept and so reconvey, lands tentatively approved for patent or patented to the State, if the State and the Region enter into an agreement that such lands shall be reconveyed to the Region to fulfill all or part of its entitlement under paragraph 1(C)(1) of the document referred to in this section: Provided, That the acreage of lands conveyed to the United States under this provision shall be added to the State's unfulfilled entitlement pursuant to section 6 of the Alaska Statehood Act, and the number of townships to be nominated, pooled, struck, selected and conveyed pursuant to paragraph 1(C)(1) of the document referred to in this section shall be reduced accordingly. "(ii) The Secretary is directed to convey to the Region lands selected by the State prior to July 18, 1973 or pursuant to sections 2 and 5 of the State-Federal Agreement of September 1, 1972, if the State relinquishes such selections and enters into an agreement with the Region that such lands shall be reconveyed to the Region to fulfill all or part of its entitlement under paragraph 1(C)(1) of the document referred to in this section, and the number of townships to be nominated, pooled, struck, selected and conveyed pursuant to paragraph 1(C)(1) of the document referred to in this section shall be reduced accordingly. "(iii) The Secretary, in the Secretary's discretion, is authorized to enter into an agreement with the State and the Region to implement the authority contained in this section 12(b)(ll), which agreement may provide for conveyances directly from the State to the Region. Conveyances directly conveyed shall be deemed conveyances from the Secretary pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).". (e) The State shall be liable to a party receiving a conveyance of 45 USC 1205. land among the rail properties of the Alaska Railroad subject to the license granted pursuant to section 604(b)(l)(C) of this title for damage resulting from use by the State of the land under such license in a manner not authorized by such license. EMPLOYEES OF THE ALASKA RAILROAD

SEC. 607. (a)(1) Any employees who elect to transfer to the State- 45 USC 1206. owned railroad and who on the day before the date of transfer are subject to the civil service retirement law (subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code) shall, so long as continually 5 USC 8331. employed by the State-owned railroad without a break in service, continue to be subject to such law, except that the State-owned railroad shall have the option of providing benefits in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (2) of this subsection. Employment by the State-owned railroad without a break in continuity of service shall be considered to be employment by the United States Government for purposes of subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code. The State-owned railroad shall be the employing agency for purposes of section 8334(a) of title 5, United States Code, and shall contribute to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability

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