La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act

La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act

This bill directs the Department of the Interior, after receiving a request from La Paz County, Arizona, to convey approximately 3,400 acres of identified land managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the county for fair market value.

Interior must exclude from the conveyance any federal land that contains significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources.

As a condition of the conveyance, La Paz County and any subsequent owner must

• make good faith efforts to avoid disturbing tribal artifacts;
• minimize impacts on tribal artifacts if they are disturbed;
• coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office to identify artifacts of cultural and historic significance; and
• allow tribal representatives to rebury unearthed artifacts at, or near, where they were discovered.

The federal land is withdrawn from the operation of U.S. mining and mineral leasing laws.

[119th Congress Public Law 68]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 1993]]

             LA PAZ COUNTY SOLAR ENERGY AND JOB CREATION ACT

[[Page 139 STAT. 1994]]

Public Law 119-68
119th Congress

                                 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. <<NOTE: Dec. 29, 2025 -  [H.R. 1043]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: La Paz County 
Solar Energy and Job Creation Act.>> 
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

[[Page 139 STAT. 1995]]

            (2) <<NOTE: Determination. Appraisal.>> 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) <<NOTE: Payments.>> 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

[[Page 139 STAT. 1996]]

            (2) used in accordance with that Act (43 U.S.C. 2301 et 
        seq.).

    Approved December 29, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1043:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 119-183 (Comm. on Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 171 (2025):
            July 21, considered and passed House.
            Dec. 16, considered and passed Senate.

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