InsideGov
Congress · Laws

Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998

Public Law 105-263 · H.R. 449 · 105th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 19, 1998 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. John Ensign (R-NV-1)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1997 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to dispose of certain Federal lands within the area under the jurisdiction of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management in Clark County, Nevada.

Allows the State of Nevada or the unit of local government in whose jurisdiction the lands are located (Clark County, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, or Henderson, Nevada) to elect to obtain the lands for local public purposes pursuant to the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (RPPA).

Requires the Secretary, upon application by a unit of local government or regional governmental entity (the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Regional Flood Control District, and the Clark County Sanitation District), to issue right-of-way grants (valid in perpetuity) on Federal lands in Clark County for all facilities and systems needed for: (1) the impoundment, storage, treatment, transportation, or distribution of water (other than water from the Virgin River) or wastewater; or (2) flood control management. Waives rental or cost recovery fees with respect to such grants.

Directs the Secretary to make such lands available to Clark County in accordance with the RPPA for the construction of youth activity facilities.

Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) withdrawal of such lands from mining laws and from operation under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws; and (2) joint selection of such lands for sale or exchange by the Secretary and the respective unit of local government.

Provides for allocation of proceeds from the land sales and exchanges to: (1) the general education program of Nevada; (2) the Southern Nevada Water Authority; and (3) a special account in the Treasury for the acquisition of environmentally sensitive land in Nevada, capital improvements in Federal areas in Clark County and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, development of a multispecies habitat conservation plan, parks, trails, and natural areas in Clark County, and reimbursement of costs incurred by BLM local offices in arranging sales or exchanges.

Requires the Secretary to transfer the airport environs overlay district lands identified in the Interim Cooperative Management Agreement between the United States Department of the Interior-Bureau of Land Management and Clark County, dated November 4, 1992, to Clark County upon request, without consideration, and subject to specified conditions, including conditions governing proceeds from the sale or lease of such property by Clark County.

Allows the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to acquire environmentally sensitive land with the owner's consent. Provides that such acquired land that is within the boundaries of a unit of the National Forest System, the National Park System, the National Wildlife Refuge System, the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, the National Trails System, the National Wilderness Preservation System, or any other system or national conservation or recreation area established by Act of Congress shall: (1) become part of the unit or area without further action by the respective Secretary; and (2) be managed in accordance with all laws and regulations and land use plans applicable to the unit or area.

Includes lands acquired by the Secretaries under this Act within the definition of entitlement lands with respect to Federal payments to a local unit of government in which such land is located (payments in lieu of taxes).

Authorizes the Secretary, upon request by a grantee of lands within Clark County, Nevada, that are subject to a lease or patent issued under the RPPA, to transfer the reversionary interest in such lands to other non-Federal lands on an equal value basis.

Requires the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to make available at less than fair market value land in Nevada, in accordance with the RPPA, for purposes of affordable housing (housing that is assisted under the United States Housing Act of 1937) only to State and local governmental entities (including local public housing authorities).

Amends the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Establishment Act of 1990 to modify the boundaries of the Area.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.

  1. Oct 19, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-263.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 8, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 2, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Aug 25, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  6. Jun 24, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  7. May 6, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  8. Apr 25, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  9. Apr 24, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  10. Apr 23, 1997FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  11. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  12. FloorFloor · Mr. Hansen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
  14. Apr 16, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
  15. Apr 10, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  17. Mar 13, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  18. Feb 13, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  19. Jan 20, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  20. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.