I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1965 

To amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to improve 

the transparency and oversight of land conveyances involving the sale, 

exchange, or other disposal of National Forest System lands or public 

lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management or 

the acquisition of non-Federal lands for inclusion in the National Forest 

System or administration as public lands, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2017 

Mr. TIPTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 

committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 

of 1976 to improve the transparency and oversight of 

land conveyances involving the sale, exchange, or other 

disposal of National Forest System lands or public lands 

under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management or the acquisition of non-Federal lands for inclusion in the National Forest System or administration 

as public lands, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Land Adjacency Notifi3 cation and Disclosure Act’’ or ‘‘LAND Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREST SERVICE 

5 AND BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT LAND 

6 ACQUISITIONS AND CONVEYANCES. 

7 (a) NOTICE TO ADJACENT LANDOWNERS.— 

8 (1) LAND ACQUISITIONS.—Section 205 of the 

9 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 

10 (43 U.S.C. 1715) is amended by adding at the end 

11 the following new subsection: 

12 ‘‘(f) NOTICE TO ADJACENT LANDOWNERS.—As part 

13 of the acquisition of a parcel of non-Federal lands under 

14 this section, section 206, or other applicable law that will 

15 become public lands or National Forest System lands, the 

16 Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture, as the case may 

17 be, shall provide advance written notification to each 

18 owner of land that is adjacent to the parcel of land to 

19 be acquired. To assist in identifying adjacent landowners, 

20 the Secretary concerned should use the most recently 

21 available tax records.’’. 

22 (2) LAND CONVEYANCES.—Section 208 of the 

23 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 

24 (43 U.S.C. 1718) is amended— 

25 (A) by inserting ‘‘(a) ISSUANCE OF PAT26 ENT AND OTHER CONVEYANCE DOCUMENTS.— 


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1 ’’ before the first sentence and ‘‘(b) OTHER

2 TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—’’ before the second 

3 sentence; and 

4 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

5 subsection: 

6 ‘‘(c) NOTICE TO ADJACENT LANDOWNERS.—As part 

7 of the conveyance of a parcel of public lands or National 

8 Forest System lands by sale, exchange, or other disposal 

9 method under section 203 or 206 or other applicable law, 

10 the Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture, as the case 

11 may be, shall provide advance written notification to each 

12 owner of land that is adjacent to the parcel of land to 

13 be conveyed. To assist in identifying adjacent landowners, 

14 the Secretary concerned should use the most recently 

15 available tax records.’’. 

16 (b) OVERSIGHT OF USE OF THIRD-PARTY

17 FACILITATORS.— 

18 (1) ACQUISITION.—Section 205 of the Federal 

19 Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 

20 U.S.C. 1715) is amended by inserting after sub21 section (f), as added by subsection (a)(1), the fol22 lowing new subsection: 

23 ‘‘(g) OVERSIGHT OF USE OF THIRD-PARTY

24 FACILITATORS.—(1) If the acquisition process for a parcel 

25 of non-Federal lands under this section, section 206, or 


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1 other applicable law that will become public lands or Na2 tional Forest System lands involves the use of a third3 party facilitator, the Secretary or the Secretary of Agri4 culture, as the case may be, shall require, as a condition 

5 of the approval of the acquisition— 

6 ‘‘(A) submission of all purchase contracts and 

7 related agreements held by the third-party facilitator 

8 related to the parcel to be acquired; and 

9 ‘‘(B) supervisor review of such purchase con10 tracts and related agreements, the purpose of the ac11 quisition, and other terms and conditions of the ac12 quisition. 

13 ‘‘(2) In this subsection, the term ‘third-party 

14 facilitator’ means any entity (other than an agent of the 

15 United States) whose role in a real estate transaction is 

16 to assist the buyer or seller, or both, in reaching agree17 ment in the transaction.’’. 

18 (2) LAND CONVEYANCES.—Section 208 of the 

19 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 

20 (43 U.S.C. 1718) is amended by inserting after sub21 section (c), as added by subsection (a)(2), the fol22 lowing new subsection: 

23 ‘‘(d) OVERSIGHT OF USE OF THIRD-PARTY

24 FACILITATORS.—(1) If the process by which a parcel of 

25 public lands or National Forest System lands will be conVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:20 Apr 13, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1965.IH H1965

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1 veyed by sale, exchange, or other disposal method under 

2 section 203 or 206 or other applicable law, involves the 

3 use of a third-party facilitator, the Secretary or the Sec4 retary of Agriculture, as the case may be, shall require, 

5 as a condition of the approval of the conveyance— 

6 ‘‘(A) submission of all purchase contracts and 

7 related agreements held by the third-party facilitator 

8 related to the Federal land to be conveyed; 

9 ‘‘(B) submission to appraisers of contact infor10 mation for prospective end owners of the Federal 

11 land to be conveyed; and 

12 ‘‘(C) supervisor review of such purchase con13 tracts and related agreements, the purpose of the 

14 conveyance, and other terms and conditions of the 

15 conveyance. 

16 ‘‘(2) In this subsection, the term ‘third-party 

17 facilitator’ means any entity (other than an agent of the 

18 United States) whose role in a real estate transaction is 

19 to assist the buyer or seller, or both, in reaching agree20 ment in the transaction.’’. 

Æ 


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