HJR51 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Thad McClammy

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Sixteenth Section Lands, U. S. Congress urged to annually indemnify the State of Alabama for lost Sixteenth Section Lands for distribution to counties

Summary

A House Joint Resolution urging Congress to annually indemnify Alabama from offshore royalty revenues for lost Sixteenth Section Lands and to distribute those funds to Alabama counties.

What This Bill Does

If adopted, Congress would provide annual payments from offshore royalty revenues to Alabama to compensate for lost Sixteenth Section Lands. The funds would be distributed to counties based on the number of lost acres in each county, with the per-county shares calculated by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The resolution also asks Alabama’s delegation to pursue such indemnification through federal action and for state legislation to ensure equitable distribution of any offshore royalty funds to counties.

Who It Affects

• Counties in Alabama would receive annual distributions of offshore royalty funds based on the number of lost Sixteenth Section acres in each county.
• Alabama state agencies, especially the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, would calculate per-county shares and administer the distribution; Alabama's Congressional Delegation would actively pursue indemnification from Congress.

Key Provisions

• Urges Congress to annually indemnify the State of Alabama from offshore royalty revenues for lost Sixteenth Section Lands.
• The indemnification should reflect the value of the approximately 930,027 lost acres and be distributed equitably to the state's counties.
• Distributions to counties would be based on the number of lost Sixteenth Section acres in each county as calculated by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
• Encourages Alabama’s Congressional Delegation to pursue the indemnification through legislation and administrative actions, and to enact necessary state measures to implement distribution.
• Requires copies of the resolution to be provided to federal and state leaders to inform them of Alabama’s interest.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Resolutions, Legislative