
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 43USC912]

 
                         TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS
 
         CHAPTER 21--GRANTS IN AID OF RAILROADS AND WAGON ROADS
 
Sec. 912. Disposition of abandoned or forfeited railroad grants

    Whenever public lands of the United States have been or may be 
granted to any railroad company for use as a right of way for its 
railroad or as sites for railroad structures of any kind, and use and 
occupancy of said lands for such purposes has ceased or shall hereafter 
cease, whether by forfeiture or by abandonment by said railroad company 
declared or decreed by a court of competent jurisdiction or by Act of 
Congress, then and thereupon all right, title, interest, and estate of 
the United States in said lands shall, except such part thereof as may 
be embraced in a public highway legally established within one year 
after the date of said decree or forfeiture or abandonment be 
transferred to and vested in any person, firm, or corporation, assigns, 
or successors in title and interest to whom or to which title of the 
United States may have been or may be granted, conveying or purporting 
to convey the whole of the legal subdivision or subdivisions traversed 
or occupied by such railroad or railroad structures of any kind as 
aforesaid, except lands within a municipality the title to which, upon 
forfeiture or abandonment, as herein provided, shall vest in such 
municipality, and this by virtue of the patent thereto and without the 
necessity of any other or further conveyance or assurance of any kind or 
nature whatsoever: Provided, That this section shall not affect 
conveyances made by any railroad company of portions of its right of way 
if such conveyance be among those which have been or may after March 8, 
1922, and before such forfeiture or abandonment be validated and 
confirmed by any Act of Congress; nor shall this section affect any 
public highway on said right of way on March 8, 1922: Provided further, 
That the transfer of such lands shall be subject to and contain 
reservations in favor of the United States of all oil, gas, and other 
minerals in the land so transferred and conveyed, with the right to 
prospect for, mine, and remove same.

(Mar. 8, 1922, ch. 94, 42 Stat. 414.)

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in title 16 section 1248.
