What This Bill Does
This bill allows the Secretary of the Interior to add approximately 6,100 acres of land to Big Bend National Park in Texas. The government can acquire this land through donation, purchase from willing sellers, or land exchanges, but cannot force property owners to sell their land.
Who It Affects
The Secretary of the Interior, the National Park Service, landowners near Big Bend National Park in Texas, and the public who visit or use the park.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of the Interior can acquire about 6,100 acres of land shown on a specific map to add to the park through donation, willing purchase, or exchange (Sec. 3(a)).
• A map showing which lands would be added to the park will be available for public inspection at National Park Service offices and the Department of the Interior (Sec. 3(b)).
• Once the Secretary acquires any of these lands, he or she will update the park's boundary to include them and manage them according to all applicable laws and regulations (Sec. 3(c)).
• The Secretary cannot use eminent domain (forcing property owners to sell their land) or condemnation to acquire any of these lands (Sec. 3(d)).
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, the boundary of Big Bend National Park will expand to include newly acquired acres, and those new acres will be managed as part of the park.
Important Definitions
The bill defines "Park" as Big Bend National Park, established by an Act from June 20, 1935. It defines "Secretary" as the Secretary of the Interior.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1544
To adjust the boundary of Big Bend National Park in the State of Texas,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 10, 2023
Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To adjust the boundary of Big Bend National Park in the
State of Texas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Big Bend National
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Park Boundary Adjustment Act’’.
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
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In this Act:
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(1) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ entitled ‘‘Big Bend
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National Park, Proposed Boundary Adjustment’’,
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numbered 155/167,296, and dated November 2022.
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•HR 1544 IH
(2) PARK.—The term ‘‘Park’’ means the Big
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Bend National Park, established pursuant to the Act
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of June 20, 1935 (49 Stat. 393; 16 U.S.C. 156).
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(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
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the Secretary of the Interior.
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SEC. 3. BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY ADJUST-
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MENT.
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(a) LAND ACQUISITION.—The Secretary is author-
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ized to acquire approximately 6,100 acres of lands or in-
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terests in land generally depicted on the map as ‘‘Tracts
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to Include in Boundary’’ by donation, purchase from will-
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ing sellers, or exchange.
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(b) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file
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and available for public inspection in the appropriate of-
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fices of the National Park Service, the Department of the
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Interior.
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(c) BOUNDARY REVISION AND ADMINISTRATION.—
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Upon the acquisition of any lands or interests in land pur-
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suant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall revise the
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boundary of the Park to include the acquisition, and shall
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administer such lands or interests in land as part of the
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Park in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
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(d) EMINENT DOMAIN OR CONDEMNATION.—In car-
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rying out this Act, the Secretary may not use eminent do-
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main or condemnation.
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