II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1222 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land to La 

Paz County, Arizona, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 24, 2017 

Mr. FLAKE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain 

land to La Paz County, Arizona, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘La Paz County Land 

5 Conveyance Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) COUNTY.—The term ‘‘County’’ means La 

9 Paz County, Arizona. 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 1222 IS

1 (2) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 

2 means the approximately 8,000 acres of Federal 

3 land managed by the Bureau of Land Management 

4 and designated as ‘‘Federal land to be conveyed’’ on 

5 the map. 

6 (3) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map 

7 prepared by the Bureau of Land Management enti8 tled ‘‘Proposed La Paz County Land Conveyance’’ 

9 and dated May 24, 2017. 

10 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

11 the Secretary of the Interior. 

12 SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE TO LA PAZ COUNTY, ARIZONA. 

13 (a) CONVEYANCE AUTHORIZED.—Subject to valid ex14 isting rights and notwithstanding the land use planning 

15 requirements of sections 202 and 203 of the Federal Land 

16 Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712, 

17 1713), not later than 180 days after the date on which 

18 the Secretary receives a request from the County for the 

19 conveyance of the Federal land, the Secretary shall convey 

20 to the County, without consideration, all right, title, and 

21 interest of the United States in and to the Federal land. 

22 (b) USE OF CONVEYED LAND.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Federal land conveyed 

24 under subsection (a)— 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 1222 IS

1 (A) may be used by the County for any 

2 public purposes consistent with the Act of June 

3 14, 1926 (commonly known as the ‘‘Recreation 

4 and Public Purposes Act’’) (43 U.S.C. 869 et 

5 seq.); and 

6 (B) shall not be disposed of by the County. 

7 (2) REVERSION.—If the County ceases to use a 

8 parcel of the Federal land conveyed under subsection 

9 (a) in accordance with paragraph (1)— 

10 (A) title to the parcel shall revert to the 

11 Secretary, at the option of the Secretary; and 

12 (B) the County shall be responsible for any 

13 reclamation necessary for the parcel to revert to 

14 the United States. 

15 (c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file 

16 and available for public inspection in the appropriate of17 fices of the Bureau of Land Management. 

18 (d) COSTS.—At the closing for the conveyance of 

19 Federal land under subsection (a), the County shall pay 

20 or reimburse the Secretary, as appropriate, for the reason21 able transaction and administrative personnel costs associ22 ated with the conveyance authorized under that sub23 section, including the costs of title searches, maps, and 

24 boundary and cadastral surveys. 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 1222 IS

1 (e) RELEASE OF UNITED STATES.—On conveyance 

2 of the Federal land under subsection (a), notwithstanding 

3 any other provision of law, the United States is released 

4 from any and all liabilities or claims of any kind or nature 

5 arising from the presence, release, or threat of release of 

6 any hazardous substance, pollutant, contaminant, petro7 leum product (or derivative of a petroleum product of any 

8 kind), solid waste, mine materials, or mining-related fea9 tures (including tailings, overburden, waste rock, mill rem10 nants, pits, or other hazards resulting from the presence 

11 of mining-related features) on the Federal land in exist12 ence before or on the date of the conveyance. 

13 (f) ACQUISITION OF FEDERAL REVERSIONARY IN14 TEREST.— 

15 (1) REQUEST.—After the date of conveyance of 

16 the Federal land under subsection (a), the County 

17 may submit to the Secretary a request to acquire the 

18 Federal reversionary interest in all or any portion of 

19 the Federal land. 

20 (2) APPRAISAL.— 

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

22 days after the date of receipt of a request under 

23 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall complete an 

24 appraisal of the Federal reversionary interest in 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 1222 IS

1 the Federal land requested by the County under 

2 that paragraph. 

3 (B) REQUIREMENT.—The appraisal under 

4 subparagraph (A) shall be completed in accord5 ance with— 

6 (i) the Uniform Appraisal Standards 

7 for Federal Land Acquisitions; and 

8 (ii) the Uniform Standards of Profes9 sional Appraisal Practice. 

10 (3) CONVEYANCE REQUIRED.—If, by the date 

11 that is 1 year after the date of completion of the ap12 praisal under paragraph (2), the County submits to 

13 the Secretary an offer to acquire the Federal rever14 sionary interest requested under paragraph (1), the 

15 Secretary shall, not later than the date that is 30 

16 days after the date on which the offer is submitted, 

17 convey to the County the reversionary interest cov18 ered by the offer. 

19 (4) CONSIDERATION.—As consideration for the 

20 conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest 

21 under paragraph (3), the County shall pay to the 

22 Secretary an amount equal to the appraised value of 

23 the Federal reversionary interest, as determined 

24 under paragraph (2). 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 1222 IS

1 (5) COSTS OF CONVEYANCE.—As a condition of 

2 the conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest 

3 under paragraph (3), all costs associated with the 

4 conveyance (including the cost of the appraisal 

5 under paragraph (2)), shall be paid by the County. 

6 (6) RESTRICTIONS ON USE NOT APPLICABLE.— 

7 On conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest 

8 to the County under paragraph (3), the restrictions 

9 on the use and disposal of the Federal land under 

10 subsection (b) shall not apply to any portion of the 

11 Federal land that was subject to the conveyed Fed12 eral reversionary interest. 

Æ 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS