H.R. 1043 · Where this bill is now
Became law
Public Law 119-68, Dec 29, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryLand transfer for Arizona solar development
This act would transfer about 3,400 acres of federally managed land in La Paz County, Arizona to the county. The land would be excluded from mining and mineral leasing, meaning no new mining operations could happen there. The county and any future owner would have to work with local tribes to respect and protect any artifacts found on the land, including allowing tribes to rebury items in their original locations.
How it affects you
If you live in or near La Paz County, this could affect how the land is used going forward—potentially opening it up for solar energy projects rather than mining. The broader public doesn't feel direct effects, though the law protects tribal cultural resources and prevents mining on this particular federal land.
Read the official summary (Public Law, Dec 29, 2025)
La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act
This act directs the Department of the Interior, after receiving a request from La Paz County, Arizona, to convey approximately 3,400 acres of identified land managed by the Bureau of Land Management to the county for fair market value.
Interior must exclude from the conveyance any federal land that contains significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources.
As a condition of the conveyance, La Paz County and any subsequent owner must
• make good faith efforts to avoid disturbing tribal artifacts;
• minimize impacts on tribal artifacts if they are disturbed;
• coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Historic Preservation Office to identify artifacts of cultural and historic significance; and
• allow tribal representatives to rebury unearthed artifacts at, or near, where they were discovered.
The federal land is withdrawn from the operation of U.S. mining and mineral leasing laws, and thus the land is not available for new mining claims, new mineral or geothermal leases, nor sales of mineral materials.
The county must pay all costs related to the conveyance.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1043
AN ACT
La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act
Sponsor: Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ-9) · Introduced Feb 6, 2025 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · 5 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 11, 2026: “By Senator Lee from Committee on Energy and Natural Resources filed written report. Report No. 119-109.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 5 official versions.