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<bill bill-stage="Reported-in-House" dms-id="HF8F68A9CDE4740D1B5D5A07FD608894F" public-private="public" key="H" bill-type="olc">
<metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
<dublinCore>
<dc:title>119 HR 1043 RH: La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. House of Representatives</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2025-07-02</dc:date>
<dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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</metadata>
<form>
<distribution-code display="yes">IB</distribution-code>
<calendar display="yes">Union Calendar No. 148</calendar>
<congress display="yes">119th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">1st Session</session>
<legis-num display="yes">H. R. 1043</legis-num>
<associated-doc role="report" display="yes">[Report No. 119–183]</associated-doc>
<current-chamber>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</current-chamber>
<action display="yes">
<action-date date="20250206">February 6, 2025</action-date>
<action-desc><sponsor name-id="G000565">Mr. Gosar</sponsor> (for himself and <cosponsor name-id="B001302">Mr. Biggs of Arizona</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the <committee-name committee-id="HII00">Committee on Natural Resources</committee-name></action-desc>
</action>
<action display="yes">
<action-date date="20250702">July 2, 2025</action-date>
<action-desc>Additional sponsor: <cosponsor name-id="S001183">Mr. Schweikert</cosponsor></action-desc>
</action>
<action display="yes">
<action-date date="20250702">July 2, 2025</action-date>
<action-desc>Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed<pagebreak/></action-desc>
</action>
<legis-type>A BILL</legis-type>
<official-title display="yes">To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal land in Arizona to La Paz County, Arizona, and for other purposes.<pagebreak/></official-title>
</form>
<legis-body id="HEDD72F6F05884107B559A95500ADA38E" style="OLC"> 
<section id="HF242BCF494F7492794729F8D9D0FB916" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section> <section id="H1D4CBFF6724746D99199ABFABC77356D"><enum>2.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this Act:</text> 
<paragraph id="H7D9475BE72B649A3A23BCF17228B1B1E"><enum>(1)</enum><header>County</header><text>The term <term>County</term> means La Paz County, Arizona.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H9B36068E29234FBE88D1AB4ECAE685E5"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Federal land</header><text>The term <term>Federal land</term> means the approximately 3,400 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and designated as <quote>Federal Land to be Conveyed</quote> on the map.</text></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="H83796F19E3FA4F21B23C2F5CD7E15645"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Map</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>map</term> means the map prepared by the Bureau of Land Management entitled <quote>BLM Arizona—La Paz County Land Conveyance Map</quote> and dated June 29, 2023.</text></paragraph></section> <section id="H5FBFACA10B2249C49EB077DE293CB753"><enum>3.</enum><header>Conveyance to La Paz County, Arizona</header> <subsection id="H1EC2E039095C41B294A415427FEF782B"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Notwithstanding the planning requirement of sections 202 and 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1712">43 U.S.C. 1712</external-xref>, 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.</text></subsection> 
<subsection id="H9B1F785905724A0CB7893A06957E6DBB"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Restrictions on conveyance</header> 
<paragraph id="H160B9984D2704A8EA4D2C9F1B252BC90"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The conveyance under subsection (a) shall be subject to—</text> <subparagraph id="H4E35886CB3CC418487043FE51550B9C6"><enum>(A)</enum><text>valid existing rights; and</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="HED17CE2E5C4840A1A567F1D34720FDAA"><enum>(B)</enum><text>such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be necessary.</text></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="H7D8BB76A34594122AE4628B3F2A2FB45"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Exclusion</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall exclude from the conveyance under subsection (a) any Federal land that contains significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources.</text></paragraph></subsection> 
<subsection id="HEFE24618649342E8A20C4C45BE7EFC38"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Payment of fair market value</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The conveyance under subsection (a) shall be for the fair market value of the Federal land to be conveyed, as determined—</text> <paragraph id="H99E330363E984AB0A7446E0C86B3E175"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1701">43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.</external-xref>); and</text></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="HCFF34C9E424D4B7292E42E21F54C3B9B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>based on an appraisal that is conducted in accordance with—</text> <subparagraph id="HF24787FA4DEF45D99933F4E4B0C36DB9"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions; and</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="HFB7D26DFC03042019CB31C3C7DB43822"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection> <subsection id="HBF550D3387614333BC9FBAE31B2BD82E"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Protection of tribal cultural artifacts</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">As a condition of the conveyance under subsection (a), the County shall, and as a condition of any subsequent conveyance, any subsequent owner shall—</text> 
<paragraph id="HE51A0236B4C042208D09D37606FB45FF"><enum>(1)</enum><text>make good faith efforts to avoid disturbing Tribal artifacts;</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H4E7ED439E62747988A0841900F603590"><enum>(2)</enum><text>minimize impacts on Tribal artifacts if they are disturbed;</text></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="HE57B4AC5EA5F4538B6B967E7CE472B65"><enum>(3)</enum><text>coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office to identify artifacts of cultural and historic significance; and</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H801FFDEB937C4D83B12E4CD5E6220C99"><enum>(4)</enum><text>allow Tribal representatives to rebury unearthed artifacts at or near where they were discovered.</text></paragraph></subsection> 
<subsection id="HB40C4108CC70446E9244CA6093CDA3F9"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Availability of map</header> 
<paragraph id="H98E56935842A4DC3B4E113DBD0DA2151"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land Management.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HE14615C5ABD644AA883F061874680A35"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Corrections</header><text>The Secretary and the County may, by mutual agreement—</text> 
<subparagraph id="H42B41982244348A3A5A7D4EC6BCA9C02"><enum>(A)</enum><text>make minor boundary adjustments to the Federal land to be conveyed under subsection (a); and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H16F4AF17FB6A4476880DDA8A7196B581"><enum>(B)</enum><text>correct any minor errors in the map, an acreage estimate, or the description of the Federal land.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection> 
<subsection id="H5850E83E878E4699AE2CF058B475AA9A"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Withdrawal</header><text>The Federal land is withdrawn from the operation of the mining and mineral leasing laws of the United States.</text></subsection> <subsection id="HBD4F3FA152294362909BFAE4E1EFD0A3"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Costs</header><text>As a condition of the conveyance of the Federal land under subsection (a), the County shall pay—</text> 
<paragraph id="H7007FA74EA544467A3FA685F70986424"><enum>(1)</enum><text>an amount equal to the appraised value determined in accordance with subsection (c)(2); and</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H3CAD5F50CE424310B6608C4EA9EFDAAF"><enum>(2)</enum><text>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).</text></paragraph></subsection> 
<subsection id="H32AAFC8B799443E5BE6260B8152E9827"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Proceeds from the sale of land</header><text>The proceeds from the sale of land under this section shall be—</text> <paragraph id="HB2E1449F31264E35BA25CBDF23917FD7"><enum>(1)</enum><text>deposited in the Federal Land Disposal Account established by section 206(a) of the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/2305">43 U.S.C. 2305(a)</external-xref>); and</text></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="HBB3D79EA5EF447F0AA76AA7EB5CB542D"><enum>(2)</enum><text>used in accordance with that Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/2301">43 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.</external-xref>).</text></paragraph></subsection></section> </legis-body> <endorsement display="yes"> <action-date date="20250702">July 2, 2025</action-date> <action-desc>Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed</action-desc></endorsement> </bill> 

