119-S-909 Journalist Public Summary
119 · S 909 La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act
A bipartisan Arizona bill would let La Paz County buy about 3,400 acres of federal BLM land at fair market value to expand a solar-and-storage project, with safeguards for tribal artifacts and sensitive areas; the House companion already became law on December 29, 2025, and S.909 was placed on the Senate calendar on February 11, 2026. (congress.gov)
Headline Summary
Lets La Paz County, Arizona, purchase about 3,400 acres of BLM land to grow a solar-and-battery project—paying fair market value and following protections for tribal artifacts and sensitive lands. (congress.gov)
What It Does
- Authorizes the Interior Department to convey roughly 3,400 acres of BLM land near the Ten West Link area to La Paz County once the county asks, at fair market value determined by federal appraisal standards. - Requires excluding any parcels with significant cultural, environmental, wildlife, or recreational resources; withdraws the conveyed land from federal mining and mineral-leasing laws. - Builds in cultural safeguards: coordinate with the Colorado River Indian Tribes’ Tribal Historic Preservation Office; avoid disturbing artifacts; minimize impacts if discovered; and allow reburial near discovery sites. - County covers appraisal, survey, and administrative costs; sale proceeds go to the Federal Land Disposal Account. (congress.gov)
Who’s For It
- Sponsors: Sen. Ruben Gallego (D‑AZ) with Sen. Mark Kelly (D‑AZ) as cosponsor. (congress.gov)
- Arizona House champions included Reps. Paul Gosar (R‑AZ), Andy Biggs (R‑AZ), and David Schweikert (R‑AZ); local leaders touted jobs and power for tens of thousands of homes. (kelly.senate.gov)
- Local and tribal partners voiced support for continuing the project and protecting cultural resources (statements from La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin and CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores). (kelly.senate.gov)
- Bipartisan backing in practice: the House companion (H.R. 1043) passed the House by voice vote and the Senate by voice vote before becoming law on December 29, 2025 (Public Law 119‑68). (congress.gov)
Who’s Against It
- No organized opposition is documented in the House committee report or floor votes; the companion measure advanced by voice vote in both chambers, indicating broad support. (congress.gov)
- General concerns sometimes raised with federal land conveyances—such as loss of federal oversight or potential environmental impacts—are addressed here by excluding sensitive lands and requiring tribal‑artifact protections. (congress.gov)
What’s Next
As of February 12, 2026, S.909 has been reported with Senate Report 119‑107 and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar (Calendar No. 336). Because the House version already became law on December 29, 2025 (Public Law 119‑68), further action on S.909 may be unnecessary. (congress.gov)
Discussion