LANDs Act

Paul A. Gosar

Republican · AZ · Representative

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Elijah Crane (R-AZ-2)Original· 2026-10-01
• Harriet M. Hageman (R-WY)Original· 2026-10-01
• Lauren Boebert (R-CO-4)Original· 2026-10-01
• Mike Kennedy (R-UT-3)Original· 2026-10-01
• Nicholas J. Begich III (R-AK)Original· 2026-10-01
• Pete Stauber (R-MN-8)Original· 2026-10-01
• Addison P. McDowell (R-NC-6)· 2026-10-09

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

2026-10-01

Source: Congress.gov

Plain-English summary pending. Introduced on 2026-10-01. Check back soon — summaries are generated as bills progress through Congress.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 10669 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10669 To require congressional approval for Federal land withdrawals over 5,000 acres, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 1, 2026 Mr. Gosar (for himself, Mr. Begich, Ms. Boebert, Mr. Crane, Ms. Hageman, Mr. Kennedy of Utah, and Mr. Stauber) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To require congressional approval for Federal land withdrawals over 5,000 acres, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Legislative Approval for National Designations Act'' or ``LANDs Act''. SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL REQUIRED FOR LAND WITHDRAWALS OVER 5,000 ACRES. (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except as provided in subsection (b), a covered land withdrawal may only be carried out with the express authorization of Congress. (b) Exception.--The restriction with respect to a covered land withdrawal under subsection (a) shall not apply if the withdrawal is-- (1) made pursuant to temporary public land order, the expiration of which-- (A) is 5 years or less after the date on which the land order was issued; and (B) has not been extended beyond the 5-year period after the date on which the land order was issued; and (2) necessary for national security purposes, as determined by the President. (c) Definitions.--In this Act: (1) Covered land withdrawal.--The term ``covered land withdrawal'' means a Federal land withdrawal carried out by a Federal agency that would result in a withdrawal of more than 5,000 acres in aggregate. (2) Withdrawal.--The term ``withdrawal'' means-- (A) withholding an area of Federal land from settlement, sale, location, or entry, under some or all of the general land laws, including-- (i) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (ii) location, entry, or patent under the mining laws; and (iii) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, or geothermal leasing laws; (B) reserving an area for a use described in subparagraph (A); (C) transferring jurisdiction over an area of Federal land, other than property governed by the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act (40 U.S.C. 472), from one Federal agency to another Federal agency; or (D) restricting an area from operations of the mineral leasing provisions of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.). SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON SIZE OF NATIONAL MONUMENTS; CLARIFICATION OF ELIGIBLE OBJECTS. Section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest'' and inserting ``object or objects of antiquity''; (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected'' and inserting ``in accordance with the limitations outlined in subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i)''; and (3) by adding at the end the following: ``(e) Limitation on Size of National Monuments.--Except as provided by subsections (g) and (h), after the date of the enactment of the Legislative Approval for National Designations Act, land may not be designated under this section in a configuration that would create a national monument-- ``(1) that is more than 640 acres; and ``(2) the exterior boundary of which is less than 50 miles from the closest exterior boundary of another national monument designated under this section. ``(f) Exception for Emergency Designation.-- ``(1)…

In general.--Subsection (e) shall not apply to the designation under this section of a national monument of any acreage amount if designation is made to prevent imminent and irreparable harm to the object or objects of antiquity to be protected by the designation. ``(2) One year limitation.--A national monument designation under this subsection shall terminate on the date that is one calendar year after the date of the designation. ``(3) One time designation.--Land designated as a national monument under this subsection-- ``(A) may only be so designated one time; and ``(B) may not also be permanently designated as a national monument under this section. ``(4) Rights and uses.--Land designated as a national monument under this subsection shall remain subject to-- ``(A) valid existing rights; and ``(B) uses allowed on the day before such designation under an applicable land management plan, resource management plan, or forest plan. ``(g) Non-Federally Owned Property.--After the date of the enactment of the Legislative Approval for National Designations Act, land may not be designated as a national monument under this section in a configuration that would place non-federally owned property within the exterior boundaries of the national monument without the express written consent of the owners of that non-federally owned property. ``(h) Effect of Designated on Federal Funds.--No designation under this section shall be construed to increase the amount of Federal funds that are authorized to be appropriated for any fiscal year. ``(i) Water Rights Associated With a Designation.--Water rights associated with a designation under this section-- ``(1) may not be reserved expressly or by implication by a designation under this section; and ``(2) may be acquired for a designation under this section only in accordance with the laws of the State in which the water rights are based. ``(j) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section: ``(1) Designated; designation.--The terms `designate' and `designation' shall be construed to include `declare' and `declaration', `proclaim' and `proclamation', `establish' and `establishment', `extend' and `extension', and similar terms used in Federal statutes, regulations, or executive documents to refer to the creation or expansion of a national monument by the President. ``(2) Imminent and irreparable harm.--The term `imminent and irreparable harm' does not include generalized, speculative, or cumulative environmental conditions, including long-term ecological or climatological changes, unless an immediate threat is identified with respect to a specific object or objects of antiquity. ``(3) Land.--The term `land' shall not include submerged land or water. ``(4) Object or objects of antiquity.--The term `object or objects of antiquity'-- ``(A) means-- ``(i) relics; ``(ii) artifacts; ``(iii) human remains; ``(iv) fossils (other than fossil fuels); and ``(v) certain buildings constructed before the date of the enactment of the Legislative Approval for National Designations Act; and ``(B) does not include, among other things-- ``(i) natural geographic features; ``(ii) objects not made by humans, except fossils (other than fossil fuels) or human remains; ``(iii) landscapes or ecosystems; or ``(iv) values.''. <all>

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