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S. 1222Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

La Paz County Land Conveyance Act

Sponsored by Jeff FlakeSen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Introduced May 24, 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 3:58 PM UTC

The La Paz County Land Conveyance Act lets the Secretary of the Interior transfer about 8,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in Arizona to La Paz County at no cost. The land can be used by the county for public purposes but cannot be sold, and the United States is released from liability for any existing environmental hazards. The county may later buy back any reversionary interest in the land by paying its appraised value.

Key Provisions

  • The Secretary must convey the specified federal land to La Paz County within 180 days after the county submits a request, provided existing rights are respected.
  • The county may use the land for public purposes under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act and may not dispose of it.
  • If the county stops using any parcel for the allowed public purpose, title can revert to the United States, and the county must handle any needed reclamation.
  • The county must cover reasonable transaction costs (title searches, surveys, etc.) at closing.
  • The United States is released from all liability for hazardous substances or mining-related hazards present on the land at the time of conveyance.
  • The county can later request to purchase the federal reversionary interest; the Secretary must appraise it, and the county must pay the appraised value and related costs to obtain that interest.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions
SenateCommittee Latest Action

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-502.

Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee

February 7, 2018

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 24, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

May 24, 2017

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-502.

Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee

February 7, 2018

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 24, 2017

II

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1222

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 24, 2017

Mr. Flake introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land to La Paz County, Arizona, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the La Paz County Land Conveyance Act.

2.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

County

The term County means La Paz County, Arizona.

(2)

Federal land

The term Federal land means the approximately 8,000 acres of Federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and designated as Federal land to be conveyed on the map.

(3)

Map

The term map means the map prepared by the Bureau of Land Management entitled Proposed La Paz County Land Conveyance and dated May 24, 2017.

(4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

3.

Conveyance to La Paz County, Arizona

(a)

Conveyance authorized

Subject to valid existing rights and notwithstanding the land use planning requirements of sections 202 and 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712, 1713), not later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary receives a request from the County for the conveyance of the Federal land, the Secretary shall convey to the County, without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the Federal land.

(b)

Use of conveyed land

(1)

In general

The Federal land conveyed under subsection (a)—

(A)

may be used by the County for any public purposes consistent with the Act of June 14, 1926 (commonly known as the Recreation and Public Purposes Act) (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.); and

(B)

shall not be disposed of by the County.

(2)

Reversion

If the County ceases to use a parcel of the Federal land conveyed under subsection (a) in accordance with paragraph (1)—

(A)

title to the parcel shall revert to the Secretary, at the option of the Secretary; and

(B)

the County shall be responsible for any reclamation necessary for the parcel to revert to the United States.

(c)

Availability of map

The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land Management.

(d)

Costs

At the closing for the conveyance of Federal land under subsection (a), the County shall pay or reimburse the Secretary, as appropriate, for the reasonable transaction and administrative personnel costs associated with the conveyance authorized under that subsection, including the costs of title searches, maps, and boundary and cadastral surveys.

(e)

Release of United States

On conveyance of the Federal land under subsection (a), notwithstanding any other provision of law, the United States is released from any and all liabilities or claims of any kind or nature arising from the presence, release, or threat of release of any hazardous substance, pollutant, contaminant, petroleum product (or derivative of a petroleum product of any kind), solid waste, mine materials, or mining-related features (including tailings, overburden, waste rock, mill remnants, pits, or other hazards resulting from the presence of mining-related features) on the Federal land in existence before or on the date of the conveyance.

(f)

Acquisition of federal reversionary interest

(1)

Request

After the date of conveyance of the Federal land under subsection (a), the County may submit to the Secretary a request to acquire the Federal reversionary interest in all or any portion of the Federal land.

(2)

Appraisal

(A)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of receipt of a request under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall complete an appraisal of the Federal reversionary interest in the Federal land requested by the County under that paragraph.

(B)

Requirement

The appraisal under subparagraph (A) shall be completed in accordance with—

(i)

the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions; and

(ii)

the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.

(3)

Conveyance required

If, by the date that is 1 year after the date of completion of the appraisal under paragraph (2), the County submits to the Secretary an offer to acquire the Federal reversionary interest requested under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, not later than the date that is 30 days after the date on which the offer is submitted, convey to the County the reversionary interest covered by the offer.

(4)

Consideration

As consideration for the conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest under paragraph (3), the County shall pay to the Secretary an amount equal to the appraised value of the Federal reversionary interest, as determined under paragraph (2).

(5)

Costs of conveyance

As a condition of the conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest under paragraph (3), all costs associated with the conveyance (including the cost of the appraisal under paragraph (2)), shall be paid by the County.

(6)

Restrictions on use not applicable

On conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest to the County under paragraph (3), the restrictions on the use and disposal of the Federal land under subsection (b) shall not apply to any portion of the Federal land that was subject to the conveyed Federal reversionary interest.