Washington -- U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin has introduced legislation requiring the Federal government to fully fund the Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program to reimburse local governments for lost tax revenue due to the presence of tax-exempt federal lands within their jurisdiction.  

“Too many of Wyoming’s 23 counties are being penalized because of the presence of federal land,” Representative Cubin said.  “The federal government has a responsibility to help support local governments when county land is removed from the local tax base.  When Congress shortchanges the PILT program, it’s our local governments who end up scrambling to foot the bill.  This isn’t right, and my bill will fix this problem.”

H.R. 1620, the Federal Land Compensation Act, requires the full funding of the PILT and Refuge Revenue Sharing programs to be phased in over the next three years.   Despite widespread bipartisan support for the program, PILT payments consistently fall substantially short of the amount that would be generated if the same lands were privately held and on county tax rolls.

“This bill is a solution to the funding shortages faced by many of the local communities in Wyoming,” said Cubin.  “For too long, county governments have not been fairly compensated for the presence of Federal land within their jurisdiction.  This bill will force Congress to live up to its obligations.”

Eleven categories of federal land are identified as eligible for PILT payments, including land within the National Park and National Forest Systems, public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management, and portions of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Across the country, PILT funds help counties pay for essential services such as environmental compliance, law enforcement, heath care, education, firefighting and search and rescue.

H.R. 1620, which currently has 13 bi-partisan co-sponsors, has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.  The bill also enjoys the support of the House Western Caucus, a coalition of Members dedicated to promoting the values and interests of America's Western and rural communities.