I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 992

To provide grants to local governments to assist such local governments

in participating in certain decisions related to certain Indian groups

and Indian tribes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 13, 2001

Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut (for herself and Mr. SIMMONS) introduced the

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

A BILL

To provide grants to local governments to assist such local

governments in participating in certain decisions related

to certain Indian groups and Indian tribes.

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

3 SECTION 1. GRANT PROGRAM.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—To the extent funds are made

5 available by appropriations and acceptable requests are

6 submitted, the Secretary of the Interior shall provide

7 grants to local governments to assist those local govern8 ments in participating in the decisionmaking process re9 lated to actions described in subsection (b), if the Sec-
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1 retary determines that such actions are likely to signifi2 cantly affect the people represented by the local govern3 ments and to reimburse local governments for the costs

4 of such participation that were incurred after the date of

5 the enactment of this Act.

6 (b) ACTIONS FOR WHICH GRANTS MAY BE AVAIL7 ABLE.—The Secretary may make grants under this sec8 tion for participation assistance related to the following

9 actions:

10 (1) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.—An Indian group is

11 seeking Federal acknowledgement or recognition (or

12 reacknowledgement or rerecognition) and the Sec13 retary determines that the Indian group seeking

14 such acknowledgement or recognition (or reacknowl15 edgement or rerecognition) has asserted or is likely

16 to assert trust status with respect to land within

17 boundaries of the area over which the local govern18 ment has jurisdiction.

19 (2) TRUST LAND.—An acknowledged Indian

20 tribe is requesting that land within the boundaries

21 of the area over which the local government has ju22 risdiction be put into trust status for that tribe.

23 (3) LAND CLAIMS.—An Indian group or an ac24 knowledged Indian tribe is claiming interest in land

25 based upon a treaty or a law specifically applicable
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1 to transfers of land or natural resources from, by,

2 or on behalf of any Indian, Indian nation, or group,

3 tribe, or band of Indians (including the Acts com4 monly known as the Trade and Intercourse Acts (1

5 Stat. 137; 2 Stat. 139; and 4 Stat. 729)).

6 (4) OTHER ACTIONS.—Any other action or pro7 posed action relating to an Indian group or acknowl8 edged Indian tribe if the Secretary determines that

9 the action or proposed action is likely to significantly

10 affect the people represented by that local govern11 ment.

12 (c) AMOUNT OF GRANTS.—Grants awarded under

13 this section to a local government for any one action may

14 not exceed $500,000 in any fiscal year.

15 (d) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this

16 section—

17 (1) the term ‘‘acknowledged Indian tribe’’

18 means any Indian tribe, band, nation, pueblo, or

19 other organized group or community which is recog20 nized as eligible for the special programs and serv21 ices provided by the United States to Indians be22 cause of their status as Indians; and

23 (2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary

24 of the Interior.
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1 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is

2 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section

3 $8,000,000 for each fiscal year that begins after the date

4 of the enactment of this Act.

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