Four Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it more difficult for federal land sell-off provisions to be included in fast-tracked budget reconciliation bills.

Introduced by Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado and backed by Oregon senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden along with Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, the Public Lands Integrity Act is a response to last summer’s battle over public lands in what became the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, inserted language into the bill while it was being debated in the Senate that would have mandated auctioning off about 3 million acres of land now managed by federal agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

Lee was forced to retreat when other senators responded to a public backlash over the sell-off proposal and vowed to vote against the sweeping budget reconciliation bill if it was included.

“Republicans have proved they will stop at nothing to sell off our country’s public lands to the highest bidder,” Wyden said in the news release. “This bill would help keep public lands in public hands by closing arcane loopholes that allow Republicans to carry out their fantasies of selling our beloved forests and lands off to billionaires.”

According to a news release from the four Democrats, current rules that govern the upper chamber allow any senator to propose expedited public land sales in budget reconciliation bills that require only a simple majority to pass. The bill they are pursuing would make it more difficult to do so.

The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 allows spending and revenue bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority instead of the normal 60-vote threshold. Because of that, they are often stuffed with pet projects that are not tied to budgetary functions.

To address what many saw as abuse of the process, the act was later amended to include the so-called “Byrd Rule” that allows senators to raise a point of order and strike “extraneous” provisions. The Byrd Rule can be bypassed only if the provision in question receives a 60-vote threshold. The Public Lands Integrity Act would define provisions that sell, transfer or dispose of public land as extraneous and subject to the Byrd Rule.

Several hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations as well as industry groups tied to public land access and recreation are backing the legislation. Erik Weiseth, executive director of the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association said in the news release that outfitting and guiding contribute nearly $900 million annually to rural communities in Idaho and outdoor recreation as a whole contributes $4.5 billion to the state’s gross domestic product.

“We support amending the Byrd Rule to ensure that any disposal of public lands owned by every American must go through the normal order and require bipartisan support,” he said.