HR 952: Reversionary Interest Conveyance Act

HR 952 in plain English: This bill directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell the U.S. government's reversionary interest in approximately 8.43 acres of land in Sacramento, California. The sale must occur within two years of a request from the landowner, at no less than fair market value, with the buyer covering all related costs. Sale proceeds go into the Federal Land Disposal Account.

Stated purpose

The bill directs the federal government to sell its reversionary interest in approximately 8.43 acres of land in Sacramento, California, to the current private owner(s) of those parcels, at fair market value.

Key points

• Requires BLM to sell the U.S. reversionary interest in about 8.43 acres in Sacramento, California
• Sale must be completed within two years of a request from the current landowner
• Purchase price must be at least fair market value of the reversionary interest
• Buyer pays all associated costs, including surveys, appraisals, and administrative fees
• Proceeds deposited into the Federal Land Disposal Account

Arguments supporters make

• Private landowners should have a clear path to full ownership of land they already hold, free from lingering federal claims that can complicate development, financing, or sale.
• The federal government receives at least fair market value plus all administrative costs, so taxpayers are not subsidizing the transfer and the Federal Land Disposal Account benefits.
• Passing the Senate unanimously suggests the transfer is straightforward and uncontroversial, resolving an outdated federal interest on a small, specific parcel.

Arguments opponents make

• Even a small federal reversionary interest can serve as a public safeguard on land use; permanently removing it eliminates any future ability of the government to reclaim the land if conditions change.
• The buyer controls the timing by choosing when to request the conveyance, which could allow strategic delays that complicate federal land management planning.
• Narrow, site-specific land conveyance bills can set precedents for similar requests elsewhere, gradually eroding the federal land interest portfolio in ways that are hard to evaluate parcel by parcel.

Tradeoffs

Clearing the federal reversionary interest gives private owners full control and generates revenue for the Federal Land Disposal Account, but permanently ends any federal claim or future flexibility over how this land may be used.

Current status in Congress: Passed both chambers.

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