IIB 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 972 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
DECEMBER 16, 2025 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources 
AN ACT 
To amend the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area 
Act to adjust the boundary of the Sloan Canyon National 
Conservation Area, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sloan Canyon Con-
servation and Lateral Pipeline Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONSERVATION
AREA.—The term ‘‘Con-
servation Area’’ means the Sloan Canyon National 
Conservation Area. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the Bureau of Land Management. 
SEC. 3. SLOAN CANYON NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA 
BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT. 
(a) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.— 
(1) MAP.—Section 603(4) of the Sloan Canyon 
National Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460qqq– 
1(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘map entitled ‘South-
ern Nevada Public Land Management Act’ and 
dated October 1, 2002’’ and inserting ‘‘map entitled 
‘Proposed Sloan Canyon Expansion’ and dated May 
20, 2024’’. 
(2) ACREAGE.—Section 604(b) of the Sloan 
Canyon National Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 
460qqq–2(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘48,438’’ and 
inserting ‘‘57,728’’. 
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(b) RIGHT-OF-WAY.—Section 605 of the Sloan Can-
yon National Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460qqq– 
3) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) HORIZON
LATERAL
PIPELINE
RIGHT-OF- 
WAY.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sections 
202 and 503 of the Federal Land Policy and Man-
agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712, 1763) and 
subject to valid existing rights and paragraph (3), 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the Bureau of Land Management (referred 
to in this subsection as the ‘Secretary’), shall, not 
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
subsection, grant to the Southern Nevada Water Au-
thority (referred to in this subsection as the ‘Author-
ity’), not subject to the payment of rents or other 
charges, the temporary and permanent water pipe-
line infrastructure, and outside the boundaries of the 
Conservation Area, powerline, facility, and access 
road rights-of-way depicted on the map for the pur-
poses of— 
‘‘(A) performing geotechnical investigations 
within the rights-of-way; and 
‘‘(B) constructing and operating water 
transmission and related facilities. 
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‘‘(2) EXCAVATION AND DISPOSAL.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Authority may, 
without consideration, excavate and use or dis-
pose of sand, gravel, minerals, or other mate-
rials from the tunneling of the water pipeline 
necessary to fulfill the purpose of the rights-of- 
way granted under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(B) 
MEMORANDUM
OF
UNDER-
STANDING.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date on which the rights-of-way are granted 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Au-
thority shall enter into a memorandum of un-
derstanding identifying Federal land on which 
the Authority may dispose of materials under 
subparagraph (A) to further the interests of the 
Bureau of Land Management. 
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.—A right-of-way issued 
under this subsection shall be subject to the fol-
lowing requirements: 
‘‘(A) The Secretary may include reasonable 
terms and conditions, consistent with section 
505 of the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1765), as are nec-
essary to protect Conservation Area resources. 
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‘‘(B) Construction of the water pipeline 
shall not permanently adversely affect conserva-
tion area surface resources. 
‘‘(C) The right-of-way shall not be located 
through or under any area designated as wilder-
ness.’’. 
(c) PRESERVATION OF TRANSMISSION AND UTILITY 
CORRIDORS AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY.—The expansion of the 
Conservation Area boundary under the amendment made 
by subsection (a)— 
(1) shall be subject to valid existing rights, in-
cluding land within a designated utility transmission 
corridor or a transmission line right-of-way grant 
approved by the Secretary in a record of decision 
issued before the date of the enactment of this Act; 
(2) shall not preclude— 
(A) any activity authorized in accordance 
with a designated corridor or right-of-way re-
ferred to in paragraph (1), including the oper-
ation, maintenance, repair, or replacement of 
any authorized utility facility within the cor-
ridor or right-of-way; or 
(B) the Secretary from authorizing the es-
tablishment of a new utility facility right-of-way 
within an existing designated transportation 
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and utility corridor referred to in paragraph 
(1)— 
(i) in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and other applicable 
laws; and 
(ii) subject to such terms and condi-
tions as the Secretary determines to be ap-
propriate. 
(d) MANAGEMENT OF THE CONSERVATION AREA.— 
Except as provided in the amendment made by subsection 
(b), nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this 
Act shall modify the management of the Conservation 
Area pursuant to section 605 of the Sloan Canyon Na-
tional Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460qqq–3). 
Passed the House of Representatives December 15, 
2025. 
Attest: 
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 
Clerk. 
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