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This law directs the Secretary of the Interior to sell and transfer about 3,400 acres of federal land in La Paz County, Arizona, to the county if the county asks for it. The land must be sold for fair market value, and the transfer can only happen under rules meant to protect important cultural, environmental, wildlife, and recreation areas. The law also gives extra protection to tribal cultural artifacts, requires the county to pay the full cost of the transfer, and keeps the land out of federal mining and mineral leasing programs. Money from the sale goes into a federal land fund for use under existing law.
- The land to be transferred is Bureau of Land Management land shown on a specific map prepared in 2023.
- The Secretary of the Interior may leave out any parts of the land that have important cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreation value.
- The county must protect tribal artifacts, work with the Colorado River Indian Tribes on cultural items, and allow tribal representatives to rebury any unearthed artifacts nearby.
- The county must pay the appraised value of the land plus all survey, appraisal, and other administrative costs tied to the transfer.
Official Summaries
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The federal land is withdrawn from the operation of U.S. mining and mineral leasing laws.
La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act
This act 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, and thus the land is not available for new mining claims, new mineral or geothermal leases, nor sales of mineral materials.
The county must pay all costs related to the conveyance.
Current Full Text
[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:
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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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