Bill would swap 231,000 acres of Chugach subsurface rights for 65,000 acres of land
Passed one chamberH.R. 3903Latest action
Sponsor: Nicholas J. Begich III · Representative · AK
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025
119th Congress
Topics: Family & community
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
The plain-language version comes first. The official text is always the reference.
HR 3903 would trade about 231,000 acres of underground rights held by Chugach Alaska for about 65,000 acres of mostly national forest land.
55-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
The bill sets up a land swap between the federal government and the Chugach Alaska Corporation. If Chugach Alaska offers about 231,000 acres of underground rights, the Secretary of the Interior must accept, provided the title is acceptable. In return, the federal government would transfer about 65,000 acres in the Chugach region within one year, mostly from the Chugach National Forest.
Who does it affect?
The Chugach Alaska Corporation and its Alaska Native shareholders, who would trade underground rights for land they could manage or develop. Federal land agencies and people who use Chugach National Forest and nearby areas for recreation are also affected.
Why does it matter?
Some public land would move into private ownership, though the transferred land would carry certain public access easements and existing rights such as rights-of-way would stay in place. The underground rights Chugach Alaska gives up lie within areas where habitat protection began after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, and they would become part of the federal land units where they sit.
AI-drafted summary. Check it against the official text before you act on it.
Based on the “Engrossed in House” text of Mar 3, 2026.
Read the official bill on Congress.govMake the call
Where does it stand?
- IntroducedJun 11, 2025
- House committee
- House vote
- SenateYou are here · Mar 4, 2026
- The president's desk
Right now: it passed the House, and the official record shows nothing new since. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Received in the Senate.