I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1975 

To take certain land located in San Diego County, California, into trust 

for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 17, 2021 

Mr. ISSA (for himself and Mr. VARGAS) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To take certain land located in San Diego County, California, 

into trust for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission 

Indians, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pala Band of Mission 

5 Indians Land Transfer Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF LAND IN TRUST FOR THE PALA BAND 

7 OF MISSION INDIANS. 

8 (a) TRANSFER AND ADMINISTRATION.— 

9 (1) TRANSFER OF LANDS INTO TRUST.—If, not 

10 later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 


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1 of this Act, the Tribe transfers title to the land re2 ferred to in subsection (b) to the United States, the 

3 Secretary, not later than 180 days after such trans4 fer, shall take that land into trust for the benefit of 

5 the Tribe. 

6 (2) ADMINISTRATION.—The land transferred 

7 under paragraph (1) shall be part of the Pala Indian 

8 Reservation and administered in accordance with the 

9 laws and regulations generally applicable to land 

10 held in trust by the United States for an Indian 

11 Tribe. 

12 (b) LAND DESCRIPTION.—The land referred to in 

13 subsection (a)(1) is the approximately 721.12 acres of 

14 land located in San Diego County, California, generally 

15 depicted as ‘‘Gregory Canyon Property Boundary’’ on the 

16 map titled ‘‘Pala Gregory Canyon Property Boundary and 

17 Parcels’’. 

18 (c) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 

19 shall— 

20 (1) enlarge, impair, or otherwise affect any 

21 right or claim of the Tribe to any land or interest 

22 in land that is in existence before the date of the en23 actment of this Act; 


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1 (2) affect any water right of the Tribe in exist2 ence before the date of the enactment of this Act; 

3 or 

4 (3) terminate or limit any access in any way to 

5 any right-of-way or right-of-use issued, granted, or 

6 permitted before the date of the enactment of this 

7 Act. 

8 (d) RESTRICTED USE OF TRANSFERRED LANDS.— 

9 The Tribe may not conduct, on the land taken into trust 

10 for the Tribe pursuant to this Act, gaming activities— 

11 (1) as a matter of claimed inherent authority; 

12 or 

13 (2) under any Federal law, including the Indian 

14 Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) 

15 and regulations promulgated by the Secretary or the 

16 National Indian Gaming Commission under that 

17 Act. 

18 (e) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section: 

19 (1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

20 the Secretary of the Interior. 

21 (2) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the Pala 

22 Band of Mission Indians. 

Æ 


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