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S. 1657Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act

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

Sponsored by Kyrsten SinemaSen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ)
Introduced May 17, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 7:50 AM UTC

The La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to transfer roughly 4,800 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in La Paz County, Arizona, to the county for solar development and related jobs. The county must purchase the land at fair market value and cover all conveyance costs. The bill also includes protections for tribal cultural artifacts and directs sale proceeds to the Federal Land Disposal Account.

Key Provisions

  • The Secretary must convey the specified federal land to La Paz County once the county requests it.
  • The transfer is subject to existing rights and any conditions the Secretary deems necessary.
  • Land containing significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources is excluded from the conveyance.
  • The county must pay the fair market value determined by a professional appraisal following federal standards.
  • The county (and any future owners) must protect tribal artifacts, coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and allow reburying of discovered items.
  • A map of the land will be publicly available, and minor boundary corrections can be made by mutual agreement.
  • The conveyed land is withdrawn from mining and mineral leasing laws.
  • All costs for surveys, appraisals, and administration are paid by the county.
  • Proceeds from any sale of the land are deposited into the Federal Land Disposal Account for use under the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act.

Legislative Activity

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5 earlier actions
SenateCalendars Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 279.

December 12, 2023

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 17, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

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

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

May 17, 2023

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 118-285.

Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee

July 12, 2023

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

September 21, 2023

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Manchin with amendments. With written report No. 118-135.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

December 12, 2023

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 279.

December 12, 2023

Bill Text

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Reported to SenateIssued December 12, 2023

II

Calendar No. 279

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1657

[Report No. 118–135]

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 17, 2023

Ms. Sinema (for herself and Mr. Kelly) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

December 12, 2023

Reported by Mr. Manchin, with amendments

Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic

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 Solar Energy and Job Creation 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 4,8003,400 acres of 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 La Paz County Land Conveyance Map and dated September 1, 2020.

(3)

Map

The term map means the map entitled BLM Arizona—La Paz County Land Conveyance Map, Bureau of Land Management—Colorado River District, Yuma Field Office and dated June 29, 2023.

(4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

3.

Conveyance to La Paz County, Arizona

(a)

In general

Notwithstanding the planning requirement of sections 202 and 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712, 1713) and in accordance with this section and other applicable law, as soon as practicable after receiving a request from the County to convey the Federal land, the Secretary shall convey the Federal land to the County.

(b)

Restrictions on conveyance

(1)

In general

The conveyance under subsection (a) shall be subject to—

(A)

valid existing rights; and

(B)

such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be necessary.

(2)

Exclusion

The Secretary shall exclude from the conveyance under subsection (a) any Federal land that contains significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources.

(c)

Payment of fair market value

The conveyance under subsection (a) shall be for the fair market value of the Federal land to be conveyed, as determined—

(1)

in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and

(2)

based on an appraisal that is conducted in accordance with—

(A)

the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions; and

(B)

the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.

(d)

Protection of tribal cultural artifacts

As a condition of the conveyance under subsection (a), the County shall, and as a condition of any subsequent conveyance, any subsequent owner shall—

(1)

make good faith efforts to avoid disturbing Tribal artifacts;

(2)

minimize impacts on Tribal artifacts if the artifacts are disturbed;

(3)

coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office to identify artifacts of cultural and historic significance; and

(4)

allow Tribal representatives to rebury unearthed artifacts at or near where the artifacts were discovered.

(e)

Availability of map

(1)

In general

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

(2)

Corrections

The Secretary and the County may, by mutual agreement—

(A)

make minor boundary adjustments to the Federal land to be conveyed under subsection (a); and

(B)

correct any minor errors in the map, an acreage estimate, or the description of the Federal land.

(f)

Withdrawal

The Federal land is withdrawn from the operation of the mining and mineral leasing laws of the United States.

(g)

Costs

As a condition of the conveyance of the Federal land under subsection (a), the County shall pay—

(1)

an amount equal to the appraised value determined in accordance with subsection (c)(2); and

(2)

all costs related to the conveyance, including all surveys, appraisals, and other administrative costs associated with the conveyance of the Federal land to the County under subsection (a).

(h)

Proceeds from the sale of land

The proceeds from the sale of land under this section shall be—

(1)

deposited in the Federal Land Disposal Account established by section 206(a) of the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (43 U.S.C. 2305(a)); and

(2)

used in accordance with that Act (43 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.).

December 12, 2023

Reported with amendments