II 

Calendar No. 517 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 616 

[Report No. 118–225] 

To amend the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act 

to provide for the transfer of additional Federal land to the Leech 

Lake Band of Ojibwe, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 1, 2023 

Ms. SMITH (for herself and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 

Reported by Mr. SCHATZ, with amendments 

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To amend the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act to provide for the transfer of additional 

Federal land to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the Leech Lake Reservation 

3 Restoration Technical Corrections Amendments Act of 

4 2023. 

5 SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF ADDITIONAL FEDERAL LAND. 

6 (a) FINDINGS.—Section 2(a)(5) of the Leech Lake 

7 Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act (Public Law 

8 116–255; 134 Stat. 1140) is amended by striking sub9 paragraph (B) and inserting the following: 

10 ‘‘(B) does not intend immediately to mod11 ify the use of the Federal land.’’. 

12 (b) INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL FEDERAL LAND.— 

13 Section 2 of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation 

14 Restoration Act (Public Law 116–255; 134 Stat. 1139) 

15 is amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (b)(1)— 

17 (A) in subparagraph (A)— 

18 (i) by striking ‘‘means the approxi19 mately’’ and inserting ‘‘means— 

20 ‘‘(i) the approximately’’; 

21 (ii) in clause (i) (as so designated), by 

22 striking the period at the end and inserting 

23 ‘‘; and’’; and 

24 (iii) by adding at the end the fol25 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘(ii) any other land managed by the 

2 Secretary, through the Chief of the Forest 

3 Service, located in the Chippewa National 

4 Forest in Cass County, Minnesota, which 

5 records maintained by the Bureau of In6 dian Affairs show was sold without the 

7 consent of a majority unanimous consent of 

8 the rightful landowners.’’; and 

9 (B) in subparagraph (B)— 

10 (i) by redesignating clauses (i) and 

11 (ii) as clauses (ii) and (iii), respectively; 

12 and 

13 (ii) by inserting before clause (ii) (as 

14 so redesignated) the following: 

15 ‘‘(i) any land transferred pursuant to 

16 an agreement entered into between the 

17 Secretary and the Tribe under subsection 

18 (c)(2);’’; 

19 (2) in subsection (c)— 

20 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘para21 graph (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (2) and 

22 (3)’’; 

23 (B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 

24 paragraph (3); and 


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1 (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(2) AGREEMENT.— 

4 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—On agreement be5 tween the Secretary and the Tribe, the Sec6 retary shall substitute, for purposes of the 

7 transfer under paragraph (1), alternative Na8 tional Forest System land located in Cass 

9 County, Minnesota, on an acre-for-acre basis, 

10 for those parcels of Federal land to be trans11 ferred under that paragraph that are found to 

12 be unsuitable for the future uses of the Tribe 

13 in a manner that avoids in-holdings and pro14 vides a preference for land adjacent to or near 

15 existing Leech Lake trust lands and lands of cul16 tural importance to the Tribe, to the maximum 

17 extent practicable. 

18 ‘‘(B) FREQUENCY OF TRANSFERS.—Pursu19 ant to an agreement entered into under sub20 paragraph (A), the Secretary may transfer land 

21 to the Tribe Secretary of the Interior on a roll22 ing basis as that land is identified and surveys 

23 are completed.’’; and identified and surveys are 

24 completed. 


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1 ‘‘(C) FINAL AGENCY ACTION.—An agree2 ment described in subparagraph (A), and any 

3 transfer of land made pursuant to an agree4 ment entered into under that subparagraph, 

5 shall be considered a final agency action under 

6 subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of 

7 title 5, United States Code.’’; and 

8 (3) in subsection (d)— 

9 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

10 (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 

11 ‘‘described in subsection (b)(1)(A)(i)’’ after 

12 ‘‘Federal land’’; and 

13 (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

14 ‘‘submit a map and legal description of the 

15 Federal land’’ and inserting ‘‘submit maps 

16 and legal descriptions of the Federal land 

17 transferred pursuant to paragraphs (1) 

18 and (2) of subsection (c), as applicable,’’; 

19 (B) in paragraph (2)— 

20 (i) by striking ‘‘map and legal descrip21 tion’’ and inserting ‘‘maps and legal de22 scriptions’’; and 

23 (ii) by striking ‘‘map or legal descrip24 tion’’ and inserting ‘‘maps or legal descrip25 tions’’; and 


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1 (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘map 

2 and legal description’’ and inserting ‘‘maps and 

3 legal descriptions’’. 


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Calendar No. 517 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 616 

[Report No. 118–225] 

A BILL 

To amend the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe ReservaBand of Ojibwe, and for other purposes. of additional Federal land to the Leech Lake tion Restoration Act to provide for the transfer 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 

Reported with amendments 


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