Congressman Joe Heck (NV-03) today applauded the House Natural Resources Committee on approving bills he introduced that would allow for expedited access to public lands for Good Samaritan search groups and allow the City of Henderson to reclaim and clean up and redevelop the abandoned Three Kids Mine. The Committee approved both the Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act and the Three Kids Mine Remediation and Reclamation Act by unanimous consent. Now that both bills have passed the Natural Resources Committee they are eligible to be brought before the full House of Representatives for a vote.
"I am pleased the Committee has advanced these bills that address important local issues," Rep. Heck said. "The Good Samaritan search bill will help bring closure for the families of missing persons and the Three Kids Mine bill will help create local jobs. I am hopeful that following today's strong bipartisan votes these bills will be moved to the House floor and advance a step closer to becoming law. I thank the Committee members for their hard work in advancing these bills and for their support today."
The Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act, H.R. 2166, was introduced by Rep. Heck last month. The bill requires that permits for accessing public lands be issued to volunteer groups within 48 hours of application and that groups are not responsible for obtaining an insurance policy given they waive federal government liability. This legislation was introduced following the discovery of the bodies of Keith Goldberg and Air Force Staff Sergeant Antonio Tucker in the Lake Mead Recreation Area by Good Samaritan search and rescue teams. In both cases, the volunteer search teams had to wait nearly one year to obtain the proper permits and insurance policies before conducting their searches. The Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act will expedite that process and help bring closure for the families of missing persons. Congressman Mark Amodei (NV-02) is an original co-sponsor of the bill and Senator Dean Heller has introduced the companion bill in the Senate.
The Three Kids Mine Remediation and Reclamation Act, H.R. 697, will allow the City of Henderson to clean up a toxic abandoned mine site at no cost to taxpayers. Cleaning up the Three Kids Mine site will create new jobs in Henderson and turn a community liability into an opportunity for economic development for southern Nevadans. Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller have introduced the companion bill in the Senate. Reps. Mark Amodei (NV-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), and Steven Horsford (NV-04) are all original co-sponsors of the bill.