Views on S. 2363

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO presented its views on S. 2363, a bill to amend the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970. GAO stated that S. 2363 does three things: (1) gives the President authority to designate one agency to coordinate the implementation of the act; (2) broadens and clarifies the coverage of certain sections of the act and, at the same time, narrows the application of other sections of the act; and (3) mandates that State laws on eminent domain preempt Federal law when a Federal agency directly acquires land within a State. GAO strongly endorsed the first section of the bill which, if adopted, would go a long way toward achieving the basic purpose of the act, which is uniform, fair, and equitable treatment of people uprooted as a result of Federal or federally assisted programs. GAO stated that those sections of the bill dealing with the scope of the act may need to be modified as there appears to be some confusion regarding the language contained in them. In reference to the third point, GAO concluded that it had no special knowledge of the possible effect on the Federal Government should the amendment, as proposed, become law.