H.R. 3785: To authorize the exchange of certain land in Everglades National Park.

108th Congress · introduced 2004-02-10 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Became Public Law No: 108-483.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2004-02-10 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Diaz-Balart, Mario [R-FL-25] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 108-483. (final step reached)
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

To authorize the exchange of certain land in Everglades National Park.

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on June 1, 2004. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Amends the Everglades National Park Protection and Expansion Act of 1989 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire from one or more willing sellers not more than ten acres of land located outside the boundary of Everglades National Park and adjacent to or near the East Everglades area of the Park for the development of administrative, housing, maintenance, or other Park purposes. Requires such land, on acquisition, to be administered as part of the Park in accordance with the laws (including regulations) applicable to the Park. Directs the Administrator of General Services to convey to Miami-Dade County, Florida, fee title to approximately 595.28 acres of land designated as Site Alpha that is declared by the Department of the Navy to be excess land in exchange for conveyance by the County to the Secretary of fee title to two parcels of land owned by the County totaling approximately 152.93 acres that are designated as Tract 605-01 and Tract 605-03. Directs the Secretary, after the completion of such exchange, to convey to the South Florida Water Management District fee title to approximately 1,054 acres of land located in the Rocky Glades area of the Park in exchange for fee title to approximately 1,054 acres of District land located in the Southern Glades Wildlife and Environmental Area. Requires that the land conveyed to the District be used by the District for the purposes of the C-111 project, including restoration of the Everglades natural system. (The C-111 Spreader Canal project modifies the existing water management system to restore historic freshwater flows to areas of the Everglades National Park and to maintain existing flood protection for surrounding areas.) Amends Federal law relating to the Big Cypress National Preserve and the Big Cypress National Preserve Addition to: (1) provide for the reduction in the amount of payment or reimbursement by the Secretary of total costs to the State of Florida of acquiring lands within Big Cypress National Preserve Addition by an amount equal to 20 percent of the amount of the total cost incurred by the Secretary in acquiring lands in the Addition other than from the State; and (2) remove the requirement for reducing the aggregate cost to the United States of acquiring lands within the Addition by an amount equal to 20 percent of the amount of the total cost incurred by the Secretary in acquiring lands in the Addition other than from the State.

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To authorize the exchange of certain land in Everglades National Park.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Diaz-Balart, Mario [R-FL-25] · 17 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 3785, A bill to authorize the exchange of certain land in Everglades National Park (2004-05-25); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 3785, A bill to authorize the exchange of certain land in Everglades National Park (2004-05-25)

Cosponsors on this site

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Diaz-Balart, Mario [R-FL-25] reported raising $2.8 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108hr3785.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/hr>

Record fed-us-cong108-hr3785 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108