John Thune (R-SD)
Pennington County Land Conveyance Act
A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 711.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Pennington County Land Conveyance Act. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to give a specific piece of federal land to Pennington County, South Dakota. The land includes about 8.97 acres of National Forest System land and any improvements on it. The county will receive this land without having to pay for it. The county can use this land for a public works facility or other uses the county decides are necessary. Once the land is handed over, the boundary of the Black Hills National Forest will be changed to reflect the transfer.
Yes
- Scored +4
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The transfer of land to the county provides direct local control and development potential for rural Pennington County.
- Scored +3
Does this invest in rural communities?
The land transfer provides Pennington County with resources to develop public works and community facilities.
- Scored +3
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill empowers local county government by transferring land ownership and control to them.
The opposite
- Scored -3
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The transfer of land from the National Forest System to local control reduces total protected national forest land.
- Scored -2
Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests?
Transferring land away from the Forest Service reduces the scope of the National Forest System's management.
- Scored -2
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill reduces federal control by transferring land to local county jurisdiction.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- County Land Ownership: Under Section 2(b), the Secretary of Agriculture is required to convey the federal land and improvements to Pennington County without consideration. This is a positive outcome for the local community because the county gets the land for free to use for a public works facility or other necessary uses.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Loss of Federal Forest Land: Under Section 2(b) and Section 2(c), approximately 8.97 acres of National Forest System land within the Black Hills National Forest will be permanently transferred out of federal ownership and the forest boundary will be modified. This could be viewed negatively by individuals who prefer to keep all national forest land under federal protection and public use.
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 people in rural areas be better off under this? — The transfer of land to the county provides direct local control and development potential for rural Pennington County.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The land transfer provides Pennington County with resources to develop public works and community facilities. Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The transfer of land from the National Forest System to local control reduces total protected national forest land. Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — Transferring land away from the Forest Service reduces the scope of the National Forest System's management.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill empowers local county government by transferring land ownership and control to them. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill reduces federal control by transferring land to local county jurisdiction.
- 11/12/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 711.
- 9/30/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 9/16/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
- 8/7/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text: CR S4567)
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
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.
Mike RoundsRepublican · South Dakota