Public Lands Accountability Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 10465 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10465

To clarify the requirements for authorizing the use, occupancy, and development of public lands for hyperscale data centers, and for other purposes.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 16, 2026

Ms. Titus introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

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A BILL

To clarify the requirements for authorizing the use, occupancy, and development of public lands for hyperscale data centers, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Public Lands Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR AUTHORIZING HYPERSCALE DATA CENTERS ON PUBLIC LANDS.

(a) Applicability of NEPA.--The issuance, amendment, modification, renewal, or revision by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management of any permit, lease, or other authorization for the use, occupancy, or development of public lands for a hyperscale data center shall be considered a major Federal action that significantly affects the quality of the human environment under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)). (b) Public Engagement.--The Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall offer the public an opportunity to provide feedback on a draft version of each environmental impact statement prepared pursuant to subsection (a) through a written comment period of not less than 45 days and at least one public hearing in the affected community. (c) Additional Required Analysis.--The Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall, in addition to the analysis otherwise required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), include in each environmental impact statement prepared pursuant to subsection (a) analysis on-- (1) as applicable, the amount of water expected to be consumed in the on-site generation of electricity serving the hyperscale data center during the period of 10 years beginning on the date on which the permit, lease, or other authorization is issued, amended, modifiied, renewed, or revised; (2) the amount of electric energy and water expected to be consumed by the cooling system of the hyperscale data center during such period of 10 years; and (3) the effect, including cumulative effect, of the hyperscale data center on-- (A) the short- and long-term supply of water in the region in which the hyperscale data center is proposed to be, or is, located; (B) the drought resilience of such region; and (C) the source of water the hyperscale data center relies upon or is expected to rely upon. (d) Inapplicability of Categorical Exclusions.--The Director of the Bureau of Land Management may not apply a categorical exclusion with respect to issuing, amending, modifying, renewing, or revising any permit, lease, or other authorization for the use, occupancy, or development of public lands for a hyperscale data center. (e) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Hyperscale data center.--The term ``hyperscale data center'' means a commercial or industrial consumer of electric energy that-- (A) is located at a single site behind one or more points of interconnection; (B) has a peak load of 50 megawatts or greater; and (C) requires electric energy primarily to operate information technology infrastructure, and related systems, pertaining to data storage or computational applications and services. (2) Public lands.--The term ``public lands'' has the meaning given such term in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702).

SEC. 3. WORKFORCE PLANS FOR PROPOSED HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER PROJECTS.

Section 501(b) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1761(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(4)(A) The Secretary shall require an applicant for a right-of- way for the use, occupancy, or development of public lands for a hyperscale data center to submit, as an addendum to the application for the right-of-way, a workforce plan with the following information: ``(i) The number of jobs that the construction of the hyperscale data center, and all associated infrastructure necessary to operate the hyperscale data center, is expected to create during the period of 5 years beginning on the date on which the right-of-way is granted, issued, or renewed. ``(ii) The number of construction-related jobs that are expected to be filled by workers who already reside in the State in which the hyperscale data center will be constructed. ``(iii) Whether the applicant plans to compensate workers who are constructing the hyperscale data center prevailing wages (as defined in section 3141 of title 40, United States Code). ``(iv) The number of permanent jobs expected to be created as a result of the construction and operation of the hyperscale data center during the period of 20 years beginning on the date on which the right-of-way is granted, issued, or renewed. ``(B) In this paragraph, the term ```hyperscale data center''' has the meaning given such term in section 2(e) of the Public Lands Accountability Act.''. <all>