[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1043 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.1043
One Hundred Nineteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-five
An Act
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal land
in Arizona to La Paz County, Arizona, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``La Paz County Solar Energy and Job
Creation Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) County.--The term ``County'' means La Paz County, Arizona.
(2) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means the
approximately 3,400 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land
Management and designated as ``Federal Land to be Conveyed'' on the
map.
(3) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map prepared by the Bureau
of Land Management entitled ``BLM Arizona--La Paz County Land
Conveyance Map'' and dated June 29, 2023.
SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE TO LA PAZ COUNTY, ARIZONA.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding the planning requirement of
sections 202 and 203 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712, 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.
(b) Restrictions on Conveyance.--
(1) In general.--The conveyance under subsection (a) shall be
subject to--
(A) valid existing rights; and
(B) such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines
to be necessary.
(2) Exclusion.--The Secretary shall exclude from the conveyance
under subsection (a) any Federal land that contains significant
cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources.
(c) Payment of Fair Market Value.--The conveyance under subsection
(a) shall be for the fair market value of the Federal land to be
conveyed, as determined--
(1) in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
(2) based on an appraisal that is conducted in accordance
with--
(A) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land
Acquisitions; and
(B) the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal
Practice.
(d) Protection of Tribal Cultural Artifacts.--As a condition of the
conveyance under subsection (a), the County shall, and as a condition
of any subsequent conveyance, any subsequent owner shall--
(1) make good faith efforts to avoid disturbing Tribal
artifacts;
(2) minimize impacts on Tribal artifacts if they are disturbed;
(3) coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal
Historic Preservation Office to identify artifacts of cultural and
historic significance; and
(4) allow Tribal representatives to rebury unearthed artifacts
at or near where they were discovered.
(e) Availability of Map.--
(1) In general.--The map shall be on file and available for
public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land
Management.
(2) Corrections.--The Secretary and the County may, by mutual
agreement--
(A) make minor boundary adjustments to the Federal land to
be conveyed under subsection (a); and
(B) correct any minor errors in the map, an acreage
estimate, or the description of the Federal land.
(f) Withdrawal.--The Federal land is withdrawn from the operation
of the mining and mineral leasing laws of the United States.
(g) Costs.--As a condition of the conveyance of the Federal land
under subsection (a), the County shall pay--
(1) an amount equal to the appraised value determined in
accordance with subsection (c)(2); and
(2) 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).
(h) Proceeds From the Sale of Land.--The proceeds from the sale of
land under this section shall be--
(1) deposited in the Federal Land Disposal Account established
by section 206(a) of the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act
(43 U.S.C. 2305(a)); and
(2) used in accordance with that Act (43 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.).
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.