PASSED: Congresswoman Lee’s Bipartisan Bill to Speed Up Housing, Infrastructure, and Conservation Projects Passes House with Overwhelming Support

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee’s (NV-03) bipartisan Accelerating Appraisals and Conservation Efforts (AACE) Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming support from both parties.

This legislation — co-led by Republican David Joyce (OH-14) and 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. With its passage in the House, the bill is one step closer to being signed into law and now heads to the Senate, where Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) sponsors a companion bill. The legislation has also been endorsed by Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo.

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, housing, 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 help cut housing costs,” said Congresswoman Lee. “The AACE Act cuts through red tape by giving the Department of the Interior a much-needed tool 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.” 

“As land-related activities continue to skyrocket nationwide, so does the need for accurate and timely appraisals," said Congressman David Joyce. "The bipartisan AACE Act will help to alleviate the appraisal backlog by expanding the Department of the Interior's ability to work with credentialed private appraisers. I am proud to see this legislation pass the House so that we can help support preservation efforts and spur economic growth in Ohio and across the country." 

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