,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hfah  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #af1        
#bjbj,mr4 ,peterson 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,smith of ,nebraska1 and ,mr4 ,gosar7   
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to enable local 
governments to treat the ,united ,states
 ,fish and ,wildlife ,service as a      
private landowner for the purposes of   
property taxation1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,local ,government  
,taxpayer ,fairness ,act4  #b4 ,payment 
of ,property ,tax on ,federal ,land  7a7
 ,real property tax treatment ,at the   
request of the unit of local government1
 for the purposes of real property      
taxation by that unit of local          
government-- 7#a7 the ,secretary shall  
be treated as a private land owner2 and 
7#b7 eligible land within the           
jurisdiction of the unit of local       
government shall be treated as privately

 owned land4  7b7 ,payment ,not later   
than #a year after the ,secretary       
receives a request from a unit of local 
government for payment of real property 
taxes levied on eligible land under the 
jurisdiction of that unit of local      
government1 the ,secretary shall remit  
payment of such taxes to the unit of    
local government4  7c7 ,effect of       
nonpayment  7#a7 ,in general ,if the    
,secretary does not remit full payment  
of real property taxes in accordance    
with subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 the unit of  
local government requesting payment may 
add interest1 fees1 and penalties to the
 amount of taxes owed in the same manner
 and form as the unit of local          
government would add such amounts to a  
delinquent tax bill owed on other       
private property located within the     
jurisdiction of that unit of local      
government2 and  7,b7 no subsequent     
transfer of real private property to the
 ,secretary shall be valid until all    
amounts owed under this section to all  

units of local government are paid in   
full4  7#b7 ,exemption ,a ,federal law  
or other action purporting to transfer  
real private property to the ,secretary 
shall be subject to the conditions of   
this subsection unless a ,federal law   
enacted after the date of the enactment 
of this ,act exempts that specific      
transfer by specific reference to this  
,act4  7d7 ,application of ,,pilt ,if a 
unit of local government submits a      
request under this section for payment  
for a fiscal year for real property     
taxes levied on eligible land1 the unit 
of local government shall not be        
eligible for payment related to that    
real property under chapter #fi of title
 #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 for that   
fiscal year4  7e7 ,prospective ,effect  
,eligible land shall be subject to the  
conditions of this ,act unless a        
,federal law enacted after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act exempts that 
specific eligible land by specific      
reference to this ,act4  #c4            

,definitions ,for the purpose of this   
,act1 the following definitions apply3  
7#a7 ,eligible land ,the term eligible  
land means land acquired after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act by the    
,secretary administratively or by       
statute through purchase1 donation1     
exchange1 reversion1 eminent domain1 or 
any other means to be administered by   
the ,director of ,u4,s4 ,fish and       
,wildlife ,service4  7#b7 ,secretary    
,the term ,secretary means the          
,secretary of the ,interior4