LASSO Act

Bill Number

H.R. 34

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-02-10: Subcommittee Hearings Held

Last Updated

2026-06-30T08:06:59Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The LASSO Act aims to redirect a portion of revenues generated from federal public lands to help fund the Social Security program, specifically by depositing these funds into the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Trust Fund. This supports retirement and survivor benefits for eligible Americans without altering existing revenue collection practices.

Key Provisions

• Revenue Deposit Requirement: Starting each fiscal year, 10% of revenues collected by the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Department of Agriculture (DOA) from "covered public lands" in the previous fiscal year must be transferred to the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Trust Fund (established under the Social Security Act to hold funds for retirement, disability, and survivor benefits).
• Rules of Construction: The law does not allow the DOI or DOA secretaries to increase prices for activities generating revenue on these lands (e.g., no hikes in fees for permits or leases). It also ensures that payments to states, Indian Tribes, territories, or local governments from these revenues remain unchanged.
• Definition of Covered Public Lands: Includes all lands managed by the DOI (such as national parks, wildlife refuges, and submerged lands on the Outer Continental Shelf, which are federal offshore areas for resource extraction like oil and gas) and the U.S. Forest Service (part of the DOA, managing national forests).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• This introduces a new mandatory diversion of 10% of specified public land revenues directly to Social Security, overriding prior laws that typically allocate these funds to general Treasury accounts, agency budgets, or distributions to states and localities (e.g., under laws like the Mineral Leasing Act or the Federal Land Policy and Management Act).
• It creates an exception to standard revenue-sharing formulas without reducing shares for non-federal entities, effectively carving out funds from the existing pool for a specific federal trust fund.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: The DOI and DOA may face reduced budgets for land management, conservation, or infrastructure, as 10% of revenues (from sources like timber sales, grazing fees, mining royalties, and oil/gas leases) are redirected. This could strain operations unless offset by other funding.
• Citizens: Social Security recipients (primarily retirees, survivors, and disabled individuals) could benefit from additional funding to sustain or extend trust fund solvency, potentially delaying benefit cuts projected in future years due to demographic shifts.
• International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic public land management and does not affect foreign entities or treaties.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal Agencies: DOI (e.g., Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service) and DOA (U.S. Forest Service), which manage the lands and collect revenues.
• Social Security Beneficiaries: Over 70 million Americans receiving retirement, survivor, or disability benefits, who stand to gain from bolstered trust fund resources.
• States, Indian Tribes, Territories, and Local Governments: Recipients of revenue shares (e.g., for schools, roads, or tribal programs), protected from reductions but potentially affected indirectly if overall federal land policies shift.
• Industry Users: Companies involved in resource extraction (e.g., energy, mining, logging) on public lands, whose operations generate the revenues but face no direct changes in fees or regulations.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: The "notwithstanding any other law" clause prioritizes this diversion, potentially leading to challenges if it conflicts with specific statutes governing public land revenues (e.g., requiring congressional intent reviews). It upholds existing distributions, minimizing disputes over takings or impairments to state/tribal rights.
• Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power under Article I, Section 8, as it reallocates federal revenues without infringing on property rights or equal protection. No apparent First Amendment or due process issues.
• Political: As an introduced bill (not yet law), it reflects efforts to address Social Security's long-term funding shortfall through non-tax measures, but could spark debate over prioritizing one program (Social Security) over others like environmental protection or rural development. Referred to committees on Natural Resources and Agriculture, indicating scrutiny on land policy intersections.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9]

Cosponsors (15)

Rep. Donalds, Byron [R-FL-19], Rep. Norman, Ralph [R-SC-5], Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham [R-AZ-8], Rep. Davidson, Warren [R-OH-8], Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22], Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4], Rep. Crane, Elijah [R-AZ-2], Rep. Stutzman, Marlin A. [R-IN-3], Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4], Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1], Rep. Wied, Tony [R-WI-8], Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3], Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1], Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36], Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]

Recent Actions

• 2026-02-10: Subcommittee Hearings Held
• 2026-02-03: Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
• 2025-01-31: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
• 2025-01-03: 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.
• 2025-01-03: 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.
• 2025-01-03: Introduced in House
• 2025-01-03: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Land And Social Security Optimization Act — issued 2025-01-03 — PDF (2 pages)