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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5496 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5496

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish oversight mediation 
    committees to help resolve property boundary disputes regarding 
          National Forest System land, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 11, 2024

  Mr. Rounds introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish oversight mediation 
    committees to help resolve property boundary disputes regarding 
          National Forest System land, 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 ``Fence Line Fairness Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM OVERSIGHT MEDIATION COMMITTEES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this 
section as the ``Secretary''), in consultation with State departments 
of agriculture and State departments of natural resources, shall 
establish in each State in which National Forest System land is located 
an oversight mediation committee (referred to in this section as a 
``mediation committee'') to help resolve disputes between private 
landowners and the Secretary regarding the location of boundaries 
between National Forest System land and private land.
    (b) Composition.--
            (1) In general.--A mediation committee shall be composed 
        of--
                    (A) 2 individuals who are private, active farmers 
                or ranchers from the State in which the mediation 
                committee is established, to be appointed by the 
                Secretary; and
                    (B) 3 individuals who are private, active farmers 
                or ranchers from the State in which the mediation 
                committee is established, to be appointed by the 
                applicable State department of agriculture or State 
                department of natural resources.
            (2) Terms.--A member of a mediation committee--
                    (A) shall be appointed for a term of 5 years; and
                    (B) may serve for not more than 2 terms.
    (c) Notification.--If there is a dispute regarding the location of 
a boundary between National Forest System land and private land, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) notify the private landowner of the dispute not later 
        than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary becomes 
        aware of the dispute; and
            (2) provide to the private landowner the option to use the 
        mediation committee process described in subsection (d) to help 
        resolve the dispute.
    (d) Dispute Resolution Process.--
            (1) Referral.--If a private landowner notifies the 
        Secretary that the landowner chooses to use the mediation 
        committee process referred to in subsection (c)(2), the 
        Secretary shall refer the dispute to the applicable mediation 
        committee not later than 60 days after the date on which the 
        private landowner notifies the Secretary.
            (2) Process.--With respect to a dispute referred to a 
        mediation committee under paragraph (1), the mediation 
        committee shall--
                    (A) hold private hearings regarding the dispute to 
                analyze information and testimony from the private 
                landowner and appropriate officials of the Forest 
                Service;
                    (B) provide to the parties to the dispute described 
                in subparagraph (A) recommendations for actions that 
                can be taken by the parties to resolve the dispute; and
                    (C) submit a report describing findings of fact 
                regarding the dispute and recommendations described in 
                subparagraph (B) to--
                            (i) the Secretary;
                            (ii) the Chief of the Forest Service;
                            (iii) the head of the applicable State 
                        department of agriculture;
                            (iv) the head of the applicable State 
                        department of natural resources;
                            (v) the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; and
                            (vi) the Committee on Agriculture of the 
                        House of Representatives.
            (3) Timeline.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
        which a dispute is referred to a mediation committee under 
        paragraph (1), the mediation committee shall commence holding 
        hearings under paragraph (2)(A).
                                 <all>
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