HB 2377
Initials EB/BSR Page 1 Caucus & COW
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-sixth Legislature
Second Regular Session
House: LARA DPA 5-4-0-0
HB 2377: federal lands; state management costs
Sponsor: Representative Diaz, LD 19
Caucus & COW
Overview
Requires the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) to conduct and complete a cost study of the
annual price to manage all federal land in Arizona that is not under the control of the U.S.
Department of Defense (DOD) or the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR).
History
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 governs how federal lands are
administered under the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. This act allows public land to be
sold if the Secretary of Interior determines that the tract of land meets any of the following
criteria:
1) the tract is difficult and prohibitively expensive to manage and unsuitable for
management by another department or agency;
2) the tract is no longer required for the federal purpose for which it was originally
acquired; or
3) selling the tract will serve important public objectives that cannot be achieved on
nonpublic lands and that outweigh other public objectives and values which would
otherwise be served by maintaining this tract in federal ownership (43 U.S.C. § 1713).
Public lands are generally sold through competitive bid at a public auction. However, the
Secretary of Interior may adopt a modified competitive bidding process where some
preferences of adjoining landowners are recognized or directly sell the land to a party when
circumstances warrant. In any case, public lands cannot be sold for less than their fair market
value (U.S.C. § 43-1713).
Provisions
1. Requires the OAG to conduct and complete a cost study of the annual price to manage all
federal land in Arizona that are not under the control of DOD or BOR. (Sec. 1)
2. States the OAG must assume that all federal land, except land controlled by DOD or BOR,
is given to Arizona at no cost. (Sec. 1)
3. Requires the following agencies to cooperate with and provide all necessary information
to the Auditor General:
a) The Arizona Game and Fish Department;
b) The Arizona State Parks Board;
c) The Arizona Department of Administration;
d) The Arizona Department of Law;
e) The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality;
f) The Arizona Department of Water Resources; HB 2377
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g) The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management;
h) The Arizona State Land Department; and
i) any other agency or political subdivision the OAG deems to have relevant
information. (Sec. 1)
4. Instructs the OAG, within one year after the effective date, to submit the cost study to
the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and provide a copy to the Secretary of State. (Sec. 1)
5. Repeals these requirements on January 1, 2026. (Sec. 1)
Amendments
Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water
1. Requires the OAG and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to conduct and complete
a cost and revenue study of the annual cost to manage all federal land in Arizona that are
not under the control of specified entities.
2. Makes technical changes.
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note