PUBLIC Lands Act
Latest action. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on public landsLand owned by the federal government, about a quarter of the country, managed by agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and Park Service.Read the full definition (opens a new tab), Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 117-453.
Protecting Unique and Beautiful Landscapes by Investing in California Lands Act or the PUBLIC Lands Act
This bill sets forth provisions concerning the restoration, economic development, and conservation of, and recreational access to, certain public lands in California.
The bill establishes
the South Fork Trinity-Mad River Restoration Area,
the California Public Lands Remediation Partnership,
the Trinity Lake and Del Norte County visitor centers,
the Horse Mountain Special Management Area,
the Elk Camp Ridge Recreation Trail,
the Sanhedrin Special Conservation Management Area, and
the Condor National Scenic Trail.
The bill designates
specified federal lands as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System,
the North Fork Wilderness as the North Fork Eel River Wilderness,
specified federal lands as potential wilderness areas,
specified segments of certain rivers and creeks and of a specified river estuary as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System,
the Machesna Mountain and the Fox Mountain Potential Wilderness Areas,
the Condor Ridge and Black Mountain Scenic Areas, and
the San Gabriel National Recreation Area.
Also, the bill
authorizes the utilization of certain forest residues for research and development of biobased products that result in net carbon sequestration,
authorizes initiatives to restore degraded redwood forest ecosystems in the Redwood National Forest and state parks,
requires specified recreational studies and partnerships, and
expands the boundaries of the Elkhorn Ridge Wilderness and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on April 29, 2021. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on October 19, 2021: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 117-453.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 117th Congress (2021-22), 362 of the 15,242 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.4 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced it on April 29, 2021, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Democrat.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on April 29, 2021, 1960 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 1787 days ago, on October 19, 2021.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 117th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2023 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers