Budget reconciliation is a fast-track Senate process that allows certain spending and tax changes to pass with only 51 votes, bypassing the usual 60-vote threshold required to overcome a filibuster. The Byrd Rule allows senators to block provisions in those bills that don't directly relate to the federal budget. This bill would add federal land sales, disposals, and transfers to the list of provisions automatically considered "extraneous" under the Byrd Rule, meaning they could be struck from a reconciliation bill on a point-of-order motion requiring 60 votes to override. The bill does not ban federal land sales outright — it just bars them from being included in fast-track budget legislation. National forests, public grazing lands, wilderness areas, and other federally owned property would be harder to sell or transfer through the reconciliation process if this becomes law.
Environmental Concerns
- Federal land sale protection — Public land disposal provisions barred from budget reconciliation fast track
Transparency & Accountability
- Byrd Rule extraneous-matter scope — Federal land disposals added to list automatically subject to 60-vote point of order in reconciliation
Congressional Summary
Public Lands Integrity ActThis bill generally prohibits provisions that result in the sale, disposal, or transfer of federal lands from being included in reconciliation legislation by requiring the provisions to be considered extraneous under the Senate's Byrd Rule. The Senate's Byrd Rule (named after it's principal author, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia) prohibits the inclusion of matter in reconciliation legislation that is extraneous to a congressional committee's reconciliation directives in the associated congressional budget resolution. Reconciliation is an expedited method by which Congress may adopt changes in spending and revenue laws to achieve the budgetary goals reflected in a congressional budget resolution. Reconciliation bills are considered by Congress using expedited legislative procedures that prevent a filibuster and restrict amendments in the Senate.For additional information, see CRS Report R48640, The Senate’s Byrd Rule: Frequently Asked Questions.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-04-30
- Date Added
- 2026-06-30
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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