[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 103 (Thursday, June 16, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3005]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mrs. Feinstein):
  S. 4424. A bill to amend the Recreation and Public Purposes Act to 
authorize sales and leases of certain Federal land to federally 
recognized Indian Tribes, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the bipartisan 
Recreation and Public Purposes Tribal Parity Act to correct a long-
standing and unjust oversight that prevents Tribal governments from 
having the same opportunities as State and local governments do to buy 
and lease public lands for recreational purposes.
  Current law allows the Bureau of Land Management to lease or sell 
certain public lands to State and local governments or qualifying 
nonprofits if those lands will be used for explicit public and 
recreational purposes. These lands are used for a variety of public and 
recreational purposes, like historic monument sites, schools, 
firehouses, law enforcement facilities, courthouses, health facilities, 
hospitals, and parks. However, the law does not allow the BLM to sell 
or lease these lands to Tribal governments.
  Our bill would allow Tribal governments to participate in the program 
in the same way that State and local governments do. Doing so would 
help ensure Tribal nations enjoy the same opportunities for land 
acquisition as State and local governments and nonprofit organizations 
do.
  Tribal governments were not considered when the Recreation and Public 
Purposes Act became law in 1926. The omission leaves Tribes without the 
same opportunities as other governments to use public lands for these 
beneficial purposes. This disadvantage is clear, as the sale and lease 
of public lands is often at a discount compared to fair market value. 
This issue is part of the greater need to correct longstanding barriers 
that undermine the sovereignty of Tribal governments and our efforts to 
right historic wrongs.
  The Federal Government owns about 640 million acres of land, about 
28% of the total land in the United States. Public lands potentially 
available for disposal by the Bureau of Land Management alone are 
located across at least 18 States. The exclusion of Indian Tribes from 
qualifying for acquisition of these lands is not based on any clear 
policy rationale.
  As our Nation works to strengthen Tribal sovereignty and self-
determination, it is important that we ensure our laws treat Tribal 
governments in equal regard as State and local governments and ensure 
they have the opportunity for positive and productive land use 
activity.
  I thank Senator Feinstein for introducing this legislation with me in 
the Senate, and Congressman LaMalfa for championing this effort in the 
House of Representatives. I look forward to working with my colleagues 
to enact this commonsense bill as quickly as possible.
                                 ______