Joyce, Lee Bill to Cut Red Tape and Expedite Federal Land Transactions Passes House

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Representatives Dave Joyce’s (OH-14) and Susie Lee’s (NV-03) Accelerating Appraisals and Conservation Efforts (AACE) Act, legislation to ensure that Department of the Interior (DOI) public land transactions are completed effectively and efficiently by increasing access to qualified and cost-competitive appraisers. In March, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus endorsed the legislation. 

“As land-related activities continue to skyrocket nationwide, so does the need for accurate and timely appraisals,” said Congressman David Joyce (OH-14). “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.”

“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 Susie Lee (NV-03). “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.” 

BACKGROUND:

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 demand, 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. Resulting delays are hindering the progress of critical conservation, economic, housing, and infrastructure projects nationwide. The AACE Act will tackle federal appraisal bottlenecks by making more appraisers available to DOI while requiring the agency to continue to prioritize working with local appraisers.

The full text of the bill can be found here.