To require the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to the Secretary of the Navy administrative jurisdiction of certain land located on Adak Island, Alaska, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9138
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-04: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-29T16:57:51Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation directs the transfer of administrative control over specific federal land on Adak Island, Alaska, from the Department of the Interior to the Department of the Navy to support military activities.
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of the Interior must transfer jurisdiction of approximately 5,624 acres of land (described in Public Land Order No. 7609) to the Secretary of the Navy as soon as practicable after enactment.
- The Navy may use the land for high-hazard explosives testing, aerial gunnery and rocketry training, electronic warfare exercises, equipment development, tactical maneuvers, or other defense-related purposes.
- The land is removed from the National Wildlife Refuge System and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge; the Secretary of the Interior must adjust refuge boundaries accordingly.
- A rule of construction preserves the status of all other refuge lands and the general administration of the refuge system.
Significant Changes to Existing Law This bill overrides provisions of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Executive Order 1733, and Public Land Order No. 1949 for the specified parcel, converting it from protected wildlife refuge status to military jurisdiction.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Shifts management responsibility from the Department of the Interior to the Department of the Navy, reducing Interior's oversight of the affected area while expanding Navy operational options.
- Citizens and environment: Ends wildlife refuge protections on the transferred land, potentially altering local habitat management on Adak Island.
- International relations: No direct effects identified in the bill.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Department of the Interior (Fish and Wildlife Service)
- Department of the Navy
- Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
- Local communities and land users on Adak Island, Alaska
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The transfer creates a targeted exception to longstanding conservation statutes, illustrating congressional authority to reallocate federal land between agencies for national defense priorities while limiting broader changes to the refuge system.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-04: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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.
- 2026-06-04: Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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.
- 2026-06-04: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-04: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- To require the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to the Secretary of the Navy administrative jurisdiction of certain land located on Adak Island, Alaska, and for other purposes. — issued 2026-06-04 — PDF (4 pages)