Public Lands Integrity Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4455
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Economics and Public Finance
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-30: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-29T15:27:18Z
AI-Generated Summary
Public Lands Integrity Act (S. 4455)
Purpose
To prevent provisions involving the sale, disposal, or transfer of federal lands from being included in budget reconciliation bills by classifying them as "extraneous" under the Byrd Rule. The Byrd Rule is a Senate procedure that blocks unrelated ("extraneous") policy changes in fast-tracked budget reconciliation bills, which only need a simple majority vote to pass.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 313(b)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
- Adds a new category (G): Any provision that "results in the sale, disposal, or transfer of Federal lands" is deemed extraneous.
- Technical edits to the existing text for proper formatting.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands the Byrd Rule's list of extraneous matters from six categories (A through F) to seven by adding category (G).
- Previously, land sales or transfers could potentially be included in reconciliation bills if tied to budget effects; now they are explicitly barred regardless.
Potential Impacts
- Congress: Limits use of reconciliation for land policy changes, requiring regular legislative processes (60 Senate votes to overcome filibuster).
- Government agencies: Agencies managing federal lands (e.g., Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service) face restrictions on using budget bills for disposals or transfers.
- Citizens and industries: Could slow land sales for development, mining, or energy projects; preserves public lands from quick budgetary maneuvers.
- No direct international relations impact noted.
Main Stakeholders
- Federal land managers and agencies: Directly affected in land disposal processes.
- Environmental and conservation groups: Likely supportive, as it protects public lands.
- Development, energy, and resource extraction industries: Potentially opposed, as it complicates accessing federal lands.
- Congress members: Impacts budget reconciliation strategy, especially for land-use advocates.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens Byrd Rule enforcement by codifying a specific prohibition, reducing debate over what qualifies as extraneous.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's budget authority (Article I) but curbs fast-tracking non-fiscal policies.
- Political: Could shift land policy debates to broader bills, increasing partisan divides; introduced by Western Democrats, signaling environmental priorities in budget fights.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Cosponsors (5)
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR], Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR], Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM], Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO], Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-30: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.
- 2026-04-30: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Public Lands Integrity Act — issued 2026-04-30 — PDF (2 pages)