PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-509.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Mar 15, 2016
San Juan County Settlement Implementation Act of 2016
This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to retire any coal preference right lease application for which it has made an affirmative commercial quantities determination by:
issuing bidding rights in exchange for relinquishment of the application, and
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
making a payment to the relevant state of 50% of the dollar amount of any bidding right subsequently used in lieu of any monetary bonus in a coal lease sale or of rental or royalty under a federal coal lease.
Interior shall make such payments from amounts that would otherwise be deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts under the Mineral Leasing Act.
The bill declares such bidding rights fully transferable to any other person.
The bill cancels specified land selections made by the Navajo Nation pursuant to the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974. Subject to specified exclusions, the Navajo Nation may make new land selections to replace those canceled.
The bill designates approximately 7,242 acres of land as the Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness and incorporates approximately 2,250 acres of specified federal land into the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness.
People & committees
Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] · D–NM
Legislative record
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Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-509.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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