US President Enacts Legislation on Nevada Conservation, Small Business Finance and Indigenous Land Rights

The US President signed three congressional bills into law on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, marking a focused legislative output following recent activity in late April. The enactments cover H.R. 972, the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act; H.R. 2066, the Investing in All of America Act of 2025; and H.R. 2815, the Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025. The White House Briefings and Statements office released the details of the signings, which address disparate policy areas ranging from regional infrastructure to financial regulation and Indigenous land rights.

H.R. 972 directs the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management to expand the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada. The legislation also authorises the Southern Nevada Water Authority to secure rights-of-way for the construction of a water transmission pipeline and associated facilities. This infrastructure project is designated to serve the Las Vegas Valley, addressing regional water supply needs through expanded conservation land and dedicated utility corridors.

In the financial sector, H.R. 2066 modifies the regulatory framework governing Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs). The act adjusts the maximum amount of outstanding leverage available to these entities by excluding specific investment categories from the leverage cap calculation. The exemption applies to investments in small businesses located in low-income or rural areas, small manufacturers, and those focused on critical technology, effectively altering the risk-weighted capital requirements for targeted economic sectors.

H.R. 2815 addresses land entitlements under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The legislation waives the requirement for the Cape Fox Village Corporation to receive certain federal land for settlement purposes. Instead, it authorises the corporation to select alternative land that had been previously identified, providing flexibility in the finalisation of land claims and settlement obligations for the entity.

These signings follow a period of significant legislative activity in April 2026, which included the signing of Bill S. 4465 on 30 April to amend the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, as well as a continuing resolution for consolidated funding. The May enactments represent a shift toward specific sectoral adjustments and regional infrastructure authorisations, distinct from the broader national security and budgetary measures passed earlier in the month.