Sponsors (18)
The bill secures and clarifies public access to certain federal lands and preserves longstanding program authorities, but it restricts some land conveyances and increases administrative hurdles that can slow transfers, complicate infrastructure projects, and reduce local development opportunities.
Rural communities, recreationists, hunters, and anglers keep access to publicly accessible federal tracts because the bill prevents transfers or subdivision that would privatize or fragment those lands.
Public land users and local governments gain clearer definitions of which federal tracts are considered publicly accessible, reducing confusion about where protections and rules apply.
Tribal-lands residents and communities relying on longstanding programs retain existing authorities because the bill explicitly exempts certain statutes (e.g., Alaska Native allotments, recreation leases).
Local governments, small-business owners, and homeowners may lose potential revenue and development opportunities because the bill limits federal ability to sell or convey public land for development.
Homeowners, renters, and communities could see delays or complications for infrastructure, housing, or community projects that rely on transfers of adjacent federal parcels.
Federal land managers and state officials face increased administrative burden because they must determine public-access status and contiguity before transfers, which can slow authorized conveyances and narrow managerial discretion.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Stops Interior and Agriculture from transferring title of publicly accessible or contiguous federal tracts to non‑federal parties, while keeping listed statutory exceptions.
Introduced January 23, 2025 by Ryan Zinke · Last progress January 23, 2025
Prohibits the Interior Secretary and the Agriculture Secretary from transferring title of federal lands to non‑federal entities when the land is publicly accessible or contiguous to publicly accessible federal land or land owned by a State, county, or municipality. The measure preserves a set of existing statutory exceptions (including many land disposal and exchange authorities) and forbids subdividing federal tracts to meet size exceptions. It also clarifies that the law does not change legal questions about stepping across public land corners.