I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8618 

To enable local governments to treat the United States Fish and Wildlife 

Service as a private landowner for the purposes of property taxation, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 16, 2020 

Mr. PETERSON (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, and Mr. GOSAR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 

Resources 

A BILL 

To enable local governments to treat the United States Fish 

and Wildlife Service as a private landowner for the purposes of property taxation, 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 ‘‘Local Government 

5 Taxpayer Fairness Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PAYMENT OF PROPERTY TAX ON FEDERAL LAND. 

7 (a) REAL PROPERTY TAX TREATMENT.—At the re8 quest of the unit of local government, for the purposes 


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1 of real property taxation by that unit of local govern2 ment— 

3 (1) the Secretary shall be treated as a private 

4 land owner; and 

5 (2) eligible land within the jurisdiction of the 

6 unit of local government shall be treated as privately 

7 owned land. 

8 (b) PAYMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the Sec9 retary receives a request from a unit of local government 

10 for payment of real property taxes levied on eligible land 

11 under the jurisdiction of that unit of local government, 

12 the Secretary shall remit payment of such taxes to the 

13 unit of local government. 

14 (c) EFFECT OF NONPAYMENT.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary does not 

16 remit full payment of real property taxes in accord17 ance with subsection (b)— 

18 (A) the unit of local government requesting 

19 payment may add interest, fees, and penalties 

20 to the amount of taxes owed in the same man21 ner and form as the unit of local government 

22 would add such amounts to a delinquent tax bill 

23 owed on other private property located within 

24 the jurisdiction of that unit of local govern25 ment; and 


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1 (B) no subsequent transfer of real private 

2 property to the Secretary shall be valid until all 

3 amounts owed under this section to all units of 

4 local government are paid in full. 

5 (2) EXEMPTION.—A Federal law or other ac6 tion purporting to transfer real private property to 

7 the Secretary shall be subject to the conditions of 

8 this subsection unless a Federal law enacted after 

9 the date of the enactment of this Act exempts that 

10 specific transfer by specific reference to this Act. 

11 (d) APPLICATION OF PILT.—If a unit of local gov12 ernment submits a request under this section for payment 

13 for a fiscal year for real property taxes levied on eligible 

14 land, the unit of local government shall not be eligible for 

15 payment related to that real property under chapter 69 

16 of title 31, United States Code, for that fiscal year. 

17 (e) PROSPECTIVE EFFECT.—Eligible land shall be 

18 subject to the conditions of this Act unless a Federal law 

19 enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act ex20 empts that specific eligible land by specific reference to 

21 this Act. 

22 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

23 For the purpose of this Act, the following definitions 

24 apply: 


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1 (1) ELIGIBLE LAND.—The term ‘‘eligible land’’ 

2 means land acquired after the date of the enactment 

3 of this Act by the Secretary administratively or by 

4 statute through purchase, donation, exchange, rever5 sion, eminent domain, or any other means to be ad6 ministered by the Director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

7 Service. 

8 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

9 the Secretary of the Interior. 

Æ 


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