HCM 2004
Initials EB/LT Page 1 Caucus & COW
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-sixth Legislature
Second Regular Session
House: LARA DP 5-4-0-0
HCM2004: federal land acquisition; acreage return
Sponsor: Representative Smith, LD 29
Caucus & COW
Overview
Urges Congress to enact legislation that requires the federal government give to a state or county
one acre of federal land for every acre the federal government reserves from the respective state
or county.
History
Currently, all 15 counties in Arizona contain federal land. In the United States federal lands
are typically exempt from state and local taxes, including property tax. Congress established
the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program in 1976
to reimburse counties impacted by lost
revenues due to nontaxable federal land. The federal government makes annual payments to
local governments to compensate for reductions to their property tax base (Public Law 94-
565).
In federal FY 2023, Arizona counties received a total of $43,501,616 from the Department of
the Interior for the total of 28,132,256 acres of federal land (PILT-National Summary).
According to the State Land Department, land ownership in Arizona is categorized as follows:
17.6% Private; 42.1% Federal; 27.6% Indian Reservation; and 12.7% State Trust (Arizona
State Land Department).
Provisions
1. Urges Congress to pass legislation that requires the federal government to:
a) give an acre of land of equal or greater size to the county or state applicable for every
acre of land acquired or reserved by the federal government; and
b) in the absence of land of equal or greater size, it must give land of a size and value as
close as possible to the land acquired or reserved, along with payments to the county
or state for the value of the difference.
2. Directs the Arizona Secretary of State to transmit the memorial to the President of the
United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United
States House of Representatives and each member of Congress from the state of Arizona.
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note