Nicholas Begich (R-AK)
Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025
A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Received in the Senate.
Passed one chamber, waiting for the other to take it up
Passed one chamber, and the other has not yet sent it to a committee or put it on its calendar.
The other chamber will hand it to a committee, place it on its calendar, or leave it where it is. Nothing has been decided, and a bill can sit here indefinitely.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- Passed House voice vote
- Awaiting Senate
The House by voice vote (members called out yes or no together): no member's position on it was recorded.
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025. It directs and speeds up a land exchange between the Chugach Alaska Corporation and the United States. Under this act, the Secretary of the Interior is required to accept certain non-Federal subsurface land offered by the Chugach Alaska Corporation. In return, the Secretary will convey specific Federal land and interests located in the Chugach Region to the corporation. The bill also consolidates Federal ownership of surface and subsurface estates acquired under the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Habitat Protection and Acquisition Program. Finally, it allows the Secretary and the Chugach Alaska Corporation to correct minor errors in maps or acreage estimates by mutual agreement.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +7
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill is directly beneficial to Chugach Alaska Corporation and its Alaska Native shareholders by enabling economic development and fulfilling obligations under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
- Scored +3
Would business owners be better off under this?
Business owners could benefit from the economic activities stimulated by the land exchange and potential resource development.
- Scored +3
Is this likely to create jobs?
The bill could lead to job creation due to potential resource development on lands transferred to Chugach Alaska.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change?
The bill could potentially increase carbon emissions due to facilitating resource extraction and development in the Chugach region.
- Scored -1
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
While consolidating federal land ownership could improve some aspects of environmental management, the exchange may lead to increased development on lands received by Chugach Alaska, negatively impacting overall environmental protections.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Consolidation of Federal Land Management: Section 2 and Section 4(f)(2) state that land acquired by the Secretary under this process will become part of the existing unit of Federal land where it is located and will be administered accordingly. This helps bring certain surface and subsurface estates together under unified Federal management, which can make public land oversight simpler and more effective.
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Protection of Shareholder and Village Interests: Section 4(f)(3) specifically requires the Chugach Alaska Corporation to exclude certain sites—up to a total of 209 acres—from the land it gives up in the exchange. This protects specific land where a Village Corporation has kept development rights or where land has been set aside for a shareholder homesite program, ensuring those local and shareholder interests are not mistakenly traded away.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Transfer of Federal Land to Private Ownership: Section 4(a) and Section 4(e) require the Secretary to convey approximately 65,374 acres of fee simple Federal land, including National Forest System land and land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service, to the Chugach Alaska Corporation. Individuals who value keeping these specific public lands under complete Federal ownership may view this transfer as a negative outcome since the land will now belong to a private regional corporation, subject only to valid existing rights and required public easements.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill is directly beneficial to Chugach Alaska Corporation and its Alaska Native shareholders by enabling economic development and fulfilling obligations under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Would business owners be better off under this? — Business owners could benefit from the economic activities stimulated by the land exchange and potential resource development. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill could provide some economic benefits to low-income households in the region through increased job opportunities related to resource development. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill could provide some economic benefits to middle-class households in the region through increased job opportunities related to resource development. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill has potential to benefit rural residents in the Chugach region through economic development opportunities.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill could lead to job creation due to potential resource development on lands transferred to Chugach Alaska. Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill could improve economic growth in the Chugach region by enabling resource development on the exchanged lands.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — The bill aims to improve public land management by consolidating federal ownership, potentially leading to more efficient conservation efforts. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill could indirectly improve rural development in the Chugach region through economic opportunities generated by resource development. Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change? — The bill could potentially increase carbon emissions due to facilitating resource extraction and development in the Chugach region. Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — While consolidating federal land ownership could improve some aspects of environmental management, the exchange may lead to increased development on lands received by Chugach Alaska, negatively impacting overall environmental protections.
- 3/4/2026
- Received in the Senate.
- 3/3/2026
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2349-2351)
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2349-2351)
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3903.
- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2349-2352)
- Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- 1/14/2026
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-451.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 386.
- 11/20/2025
- Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs Discharged
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- 11/19/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/9/2025
- Subcommittee Hearings Held
- 9/4/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs.
- 6/11/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Jeff HurdRepublican · Colorado