LASSO Act: 10% of Public Land Revenue to Fund Social Security, Starting Immediately

The Land And Social Security Optimization Act, or LASSO Act, redirects a portion of revenue generated from public lands to the Social Security Trust Fund. Specifically, the bill mandates that 10% of all revenue collected by the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from activities on "covered public lands" be deposited into the Trust Fund. This starts as soon as the law goes into effect.

Tapping into Public Land Profits

The core change is this new 10% allocation. "Covered public lands", as defined in SEC. 2, includes a wide range of areas: everything from national parks and forests to submerged lands on the Outer Continental Shelf. Think oil and gas leases, grazing fees, timber sales, and recreation permits – a slice of all that revenue now goes to Social Security. The bill explicitly states (also in SEC. 2) that this doesn't give the agencies the power to jack up prices on these activities. It also clarifies that existing revenue-sharing agreements with states, Tribes, territories, and local governments won't be affected.

Real-World Ripples

So, what does this mean for the average person? If you're a rancher who grazes cattle on Bureau of Land Management land, your fees won't change because of this law. But, the overall pot of money the government collects from grazing fees across the country will be impacted - 10% of it is now heading to Social Security. The same goes for a timber company harvesting trees in a National Forest or a family paying for a camping permit in a National Park. The amount of money available to the DOI and USDA will be reduced.

The Bigger Picture and Potential Hurdles

While the stated goal is to bolster Social Security, there are a few things to keep an eye on. The bill doesn't reduce payments to states or Tribes, but it does take money that would normally go to the DOI and USDA. This could create pressure to find new revenue sources on public lands – more drilling, more logging, more everything – to make up the difference. It might not, but it's a possible outcome. The bill also raises a question of how "revenue" is defined. The language is broad, but there is potential for it to be interpreted narrowly, which could reduce the amount of money actually going to the Social Security Trust Fund.

Ultimately, the LASSO Act ties the financial health of Social Security, at least in a small way, to the revenue generated from our public lands. It's a novel approach, and whether it significantly helps Social Security, or leads to unintended consequences for our public lands, remains to be seen.