Tulare gets clear title to youth recreation and women's history sites

What it does

This bill allows the federal government to give up its ownership claim to two small parcels of land in Tulare, California that were originally granted to the Union Pacific Railroad in 1866. The City of Tulare currently leases and uses these parcels for a youth recreation facility and a historic women's club, but cannot improve them without clear ownership. The bill authorizes the federal government to relinquish its reversionary interest (a legal claim to reclaim the land) so the Railroad can sell the parcels to the City, enabling the City to own and improve these community facilities.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole function is to resolve a 160-year-old title ambiguity on two small urban parcels so a city can own and improve community facilities. It is a straightforward conveyance of federal reversionary interest with no hidden mechanisms or broader policy implications.

What the text implies

• Once the reversionary interest is relinquished, the federal government permanently loses any future claim to these parcels, even if circumstances change dramatically (e.g., if the land becomes valuable for federal purposes).
• The bill preserves existing public access rights and surface-entry conditions from prior law, but enforcement of these protections depends on future city compliance and federal monitoring capacity.

Who it affects

Tulare residents and youth gain clear access to improved recreational facilities and preserved women's history. The city gains the ability to own and maintain community assets currently constrained by unclear title. No identifiable cost to the general public—the city bears documentation costs.

Who stands to gain

• Union Pacific Railroad (receives payment from city sale)
• City of Tulare (gains asset ownership and development opportunity)

Named in the bill

City of Tulare, California, Union Pacific Railroad, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Tulare County, Public Law 105-195, Act of July 27, 1866

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.

• May 19, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• May 19, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”
• Jul 1, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Hearings Held”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $30,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 1 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

David Valadao, the sponsor, reported $2,024,902 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• City of Tulare — $30,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 19, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.