The bill H.C.M. 2006 urges the U.S. Congress to enact legislation that would require congressional, state, and county approval for any alterations to Arizona federal land, as well as to protect Arizona's natural resource rights. The bill is a response to the use of the Antiquities Act, which allows the President to designate national monuments and has been used nearly 300 times since its inception in 1906. The bill calls for a comprehensive economic impact study before any new federal designations or withdrawals of land, water, or natural resources within Arizona's borders, and it requests that the economic impact statement include an analysis of impacts to the state and local tax base.
The new bill language specifically urges Congress to prohibit the federal government from establishing or authorizing new federal reservations or special use designations within Arizona without express authorization from Congress, the Arizona State Legislature, and the county board of supervisors of the impacted counties. It also asks for an economic impact study to demonstrate that the removal of lands, water, or natural resources from economic production is the least burdensome and costly method to achieve cultural, historical, or environmental protections. The bill becomes effective on the general effective date.