Sponsors (2)
Updated 2 days ago
Last progress December 29, 2025 (1 month ago)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Last progress March 10, 2025 (11 months ago)
Introduced on March 10, 2025 by Ruben Gallego
Conveys about 3,400 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) federal land to La Paz County, Arizona at fair market value after the County requests the transfer. The County must pay appraisal-based sale price and related costs, protect and coordinate the treatment of Tribal artifacts with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office, and follow required appraisals and other applicable laws. The transferred land is withdrawn from mining and mineral leasing laws, maps will be available at BLM offices, and sale proceeds are deposited into the Federal Land Disposal Account. The conveyance must occur “as soon as practicable” after La Paz County requests it and is subject to standard federal appraisal and conveyance procedures.
Defines the term "County" to mean La Paz County, Arizona.
Defines the term "Federal land" to mean the approximately 3,400 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and designated on the map labeled "Federal Land To Be Conveyed."
Defines the term "Map" to mean the map titled "BLM Arizona—La Paz County Land Conveyance Map, Bureau of Land Management—Colorado River District, Yuma Field Office" dated June 29, 2023.
Defines the term "Secretary" to mean the Secretary of the Interior.
The Secretary shall convey the Federal land to La Paz County, Arizona as soon as practicable after receiving a request from the County, notwithstanding the planning requirements of sections 202 and 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, and in accordance with this section and other applicable law.
Who is affected and how:
La Paz County, AZ: Directly benefits by gaining the option to acquire ~3,400 acres for local use or development, but must pay the appraised fair market value plus appraisal and administrative costs. The County will also have legal responsibilities to protect Tribal artifacts and to coordinate with the Tribal Historic Preservation Office.
Colorado River Indian Tribes and Tribal Historic Preservation Office: Gains a formal coordination role and protections for artifacts and cultural resources on the parcel; the law requires the County to consult and protect tribal cultural items.
Bureau of Land Management (Interior): Loses management jurisdiction over the specified acreage and must carry out appraisal, mapping, and conveyance procedures and make maps available at BLM offices. Sale proceeds are transferred to the Federal Land Disposal Account.
Mining and mineral interests (prospective claimants/lease applicants): Are affected because the conveyed land is explicitly withdrawn from mining and mineral-leasing statutes, preventing new mining claims or mineral leases on those acres.
Federal finances and programs: The sale proceeds are credited to the Federal Land Disposal Account rather than being retained by the local land office; administrative workload for appraisal and conveyance is borne by the agencies involved.
Net effects and tradeoffs:
Overall the measure is narrow in scope, shifting a specific parcel from federal to county ownership while placing conditions to protect cultural resources and removing mineral rights from future claims.