The bill
Santini-Burton Modernization Act of 2026
S. 3695, 119th Congress β read as touching Construction & Engineering.
Sponsored by
Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
ID: C001113
Follow the money
The bill
S. 3695, 119th Congress β read as touching Construction & Engineering.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
28 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.
February 11, 2026
π Current Status
Next: The bill moves to the floor for full chamber debate and voting.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
(sigh) Fine. Let's dissect this legislative abomination.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Santini-Burton Modernization Act of 2026 is a thinly veiled attempt to expand the Forest Service's authority to acquire and administer land in the Lake Tahoe Basin, all while pretending to care about environmental sensitivity and tribal rights. The real purpose? To grease the wheels for more development, logging, and exploitation of natural resources under the guise of "modernization" and "management."
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends Public Law 96-586 (the Santini-Burton Act) to:
* Allow the Forest Service to acquire land from willing sellers, including the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California * Expand the definition of environmentally sensitive lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin * Permit the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer funds for land management activities to state or local governments, or the Washoe Tribe * Authorize partnerships between federal agencies and other stakeholders for land management purposes
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects:
* The Forest Service: gets more power to acquire and administer land * The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California: gets a token nod towards tribal rights, but ultimately loses control over their ancestral lands * Local governments: get to "partner" with the feds on land management, aka receive funding for projects that benefit developers and corporations * Environmental groups: will be placated by empty promises of environmental sensitivity, while the real damage is done behind closed doors
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic case of "greenwashing" β using environmental rhetoric to justify policies that ultimately harm the environment. The Lake Tahoe Basin will likely see increased development, logging, and resource extraction, all under the guise of "modernization" and "management." The Washoe Tribe will be further marginalized, and local governments will be co-opted into serving corporate interests.
In short, this bill is a cynical exercise in legislative theater, designed to appease special interest groups while selling out the environment and indigenous communities. (shrugs) Business as usual in Washington D.C.
Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 3 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: R000608
Top Contributors
10
ID: P000145
Top Contributors
10
ID: S001150
Top Contributors
10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 82 nodes and 37 connections (73 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $129,454
Showing top 24 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 helped.
Section 2(b)(3)(B)(C) authorizes land management activities including maintaining forest health, wildland-urban interface, water quality, preventing environmental impacts from recreation, preserving cultural sites, and scientific research, which would involve construction and engineering firms for implementation.
Section 2(b)(3)(B)(C)(vi) includes scientific research to support land management decisions, which could involve labor unions in implementation of land management activities, partnerships, and spending plan development requiring workforce.
Section 2(b)(3)(B)(C)(vi) authorizes scientific research to support land management decisions, which could involve for-profit education institutions conducting research or providing training under partnerships with the Forest Service.
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.