Introduced in House — H.R. 718

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 718

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 23, 2025

Mr. Zinke (for himself and Mr. Vasquez) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from transferring certain Federal land, and for other purposes.

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Public Lands in Public Hands Act.

Sec. 2. Definitions

In this Act, the term publicly accessible tract means a tract of Federal land managed by the Secretary of the Interior or the Chief of the Forest Service that can be accessed by public road, public trail, public waterway, public easement, or public right-of-way.

Sec. 3. Restriction on transfer of certain Federal land

(a) In general

The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are prohibited from transferring title to Federal land to a non-Federal entity, if the Federal land is—

(1)

a publicly accessible tract; or

(2)

contiguous with—

(A)

a publicly accessible tract; or

(B)

a tract of land that—

(i)

is owned by a State, county, or municipal government; and

(ii)

can be accessed by public road, public trail, public waterway, public easement, or public right-of-way.

(b) Exception

Subsection (a) shall not apply to a transfer—

(1)

of Federal land that is—

(A)

(i)

less than 300 acres; or

(ii)

less than 5 acres and accessible via a public waterway; and

(B)

authorized to be transferred under and subject to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976;

(2)

authorized by—

(A)

the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998;

(B)

the Sisk Act (16 U.S.C. 479a);

(C)

Public Law 85–569, commonly known as the Townsites Act of 1958;

(D)

the Small Tract Act of 1983;

(E)

the Act of May 17, 1906, commonly known as the Native Allotment Act of 1906;

(F)

Public Law 85–508, commonly known as the Alaska Statehood Act of 1959;

(G)

the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act;

(H)

the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment Program authorized by section 1119 of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act;

(I)

the Recreation and Public Purposes Act; or

(J)

the Weeks Act of 1911;

(3)

explicitly authorized by Federal law; or

(4)

completed through a land exchange authorized by Federal law.

(c) Limitation

The Secretary shall not subdivide Federal land to meet acreage minimums described in subsection (b)(1).

Sec. 4. Statutory construction

Nothing in this Act shall be used to influence or interpret the legality of stepping over a property corner from one parcel of public land to another.