S384: Establishes a right of first refusal in the state for federal public land to be transferred

Summary

Establishes a right of first refusal in the state for federal public land to be transferred to private parties; prohibits the recording of any deeds for lands that have been transferred out of federal ownership to private ownership without giving the state the right of first refusal.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Public Lands Law.

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 31, 2026. About our data

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Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

Establishes a right of first refusal in the state for federal public land to be transferred to private parties; prohibits the recording of any deeds for lands that have been transferred out of federal ownership to private ownership without giving the state the right of first refusal.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Out of committee and scheduled for a vote by the full chamber.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

Committee

Governmental Operations · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Investigations And Government Operations · New York State Senate.

Cosponsors

Andrew Gounardes, Liz Krueger and 1 more on Agora

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Read on NY Senate

Democratic3

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

The sponsor's argument

Why James Skoufis says this is needed

The federal government owns approximately 640 million acres of land across the United States, managed predominantly by four federal agen- cies: the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service. Over the years, numer- ous federal proposals have been introduced to facilitate the sale or transfer of public lands to private entities. These lands, which provide vital opportunities for activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, and hunting, are a shared heritage belonging to all Americans and are intended for public enjoyment and preservation. To safeguard public access and ensure responsible stewardship, states are proposed to be granted the right of first refusal in any federal land transfers. This measure would enable states to prioritize keeping these lands open for public use.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

Vote: Committee vote · Investigations And Government Operations
Senate Investigations And Government OperationsMar 10, 2026Result: passed
(7) (0) (0) (0)
Vote: Committee vote · Investigations And Government Operations
Senate Investigations And Government OperationsMay 28, 2025Result: passed
(7) (0) (0) (0)

Full history

Jun 5, 2026
In committee
COMMITTED TO RULES
NY Senate
Mar 12, 2026
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Mar 11, 2026
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
Mar 10, 2026
1ST Report CAL.524
1ST REPORT CAL.524
NY Senate
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
NY Assembly

Show full history (4 earlier events)

Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
NY Senate
May 28, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
NY Senate
Jan 23, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
NY Assembly
Jan 8, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
NY Senate