I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2588 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 19, 2011 Mr. Poe of Texas 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 direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to sell certain Federal land, to direct that the proceeds of such sales be applied to reduce the Federal budget deficit, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the American Land Act.

2.

Authorization to sell land

(a)

Authorization

For each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016, subject to valid existing rights, the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as the case may be, shall offer for competitive sale by auction all right, title, and interest, to the extent provided in subsection (b)(2), in and to the following: (1)Eight percent of the Federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. (2)Eight percent of the National Forest System land. (b)

Terms and Conditions

(1)

Configuration of land

The Secretary concerned shall configure the land to be sold to maximize marketability or achieve management objectives, and may prescribe such terms and conditions on the land sales authorized by this Act as the Secretary deems in the public interest. (2)

Mineral rights

For each fiscal year, the Secretary concerned may include in the sale of land under subsection (a) the mineral rights to such land for not more than 50 percent of the total acreage sold under subsection (a) by that Secretary, if the Secretary determines that such inclusion is likely to maximize marketability.

3.

Proceeds from the sale of land

All proceeds from the sale of land under this Act shall be deposited into the Treasury and applied— (1)to reduce the annual Federal budget deficit for the fiscal year in which the sums are received, except as provided in paragraph (2); and (2)if there is no annual Federal budget deficit for the fiscal year in which the sums are received, to reduce the outstanding Federal debt.