On the recordMarch 22, 2013
the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Program was established to compensate local taxing authorities, such as counties, for the tax revenue lost due to the presence of Federal public land. Unfortunately, the funding for this program has never been offered to the degree necessary that it would, in fact, offset this revenue. In States such as mine, where most of the land is owned by the Federal Government, this is a big problem because our taxing authorities are not able to get the revenue they need from this land. As a result, programs ranging from public education to fire and safety programs--the basic services of government--are not able to be met because of inadequate revenue. This amendment seeks to ensure that funding for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Program is at least roughly equivalent to the actual lost property tax revenues due to the presence of Federal public land. I urge each of my colleagues to support this amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
