Lee’s Bipartisan Legislation to Expedite Infrastructure, Conservation, and Housing Projects on Public Lands Unanimously Passes House Natural Resources Committee

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) announced that her bipartisan, bicameral Accelerating Appraisals and Conservation Efforts (AACE) Act cleared a major milestone by passing the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee with unanimous support. This legislation — supported by stakeholders ranging from the Nevada Conservation League to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — will ensure that Department of the Interior (DOI) public land transactions are completed effectively and efficiently by increasing access to qualified and cost-competitive appraisers. The bill is now one step closer to passing in the House of Representatives and being signed into law. 

DOI oversees hundreds of millions of acres of public lands nationwide, but before it can complete any land transactions, it must first guarantee that these transactions are done at fair market value. With growing demands, the agency has had to rely increasingly on private appraisers who can only work in the specific states where they are credentialed — unlike full-time federal appraisers, who have been able to work quickly and easily across state lines for decades. This creates bottlenecks that undermine conservation, economic, and infrastructure projects on public lands. 

The AACE Act will tackle federal appraisal bottlenecks by making more appraisers available to DOI. The bill will cut government red tape and maximize DOI's efficiency without spending a single additional dollar of taxpayers' money. It will also require DOI to continue to prioritize working with local appraisers, unlocking the enhanced flexibility provided by the bill only when no qualified and cost-competitive local appraisers are available to perform needed services. 

“We can’t let red tape get in the way of key land transactions that will support conservation, build critical infrastructure, and expand access to affordable housing,” said Congresswoman Lee. “The AACE Act cuts through red tape by giving the Department of the Interior all the tools it needs to more quickly get land deals done at no additional cost to the American taxpayer. I’m proud that my bipartisan bill is one step closer to being signed into law.” 

You can find endorsements and more information about the AACE Act here. 

###