II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3204 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to take into trust for the Pascua 

Yaqui Tribe of Arizona certain land in Pima County, Arizona, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 15, 2021 

Ms. SINEMA introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Indian Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to take into trust 

for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona certain land in 

Pima County, Arizona, 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 ‘‘Old Pascua Commu5 nity Land Acquisition Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) COMPACT-DESIGNATED AREA.—The term 

9 ‘‘Compact Designated Area’’ means the area south 


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1 of West Grant Road, east of Interstate 10, north of 

2 West Calle Adelanto, and west of North 15th Ave3 nue in the City of Tucson, Arizona, as provided spe4 cifically in the Pascua Yaqui Tribe—State of Ari5 zona Amended and Restated Gaming Compact 

6 signed in 2021. 

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

8 Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, a federally recog9 nized Indian tribe. 

10 (3) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian 

11 Tribe’’— 

12 (A) means any Indian tribe, band, nation, 

13 or other organized group or community, includ14 ing any Alaska Native village that is recognized 

15 as eligible for the special programs and services 

16 provided by the United States to Indians be17 cause of their status as Indians; and 

18 (B) does not include any Alaska Native re19 gional or village corporation. 

20 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

21 the Secretary of the Interior. 

22 SEC. 3. LAND TO BE HELD IN TRUST. 

23 Upon the request of the Tribe, the Secretary shall 

24 accept and take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe, 


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1 subject to all valid existing rights, any land within the 

2 Compact-Designated Area that is owned by Tribe. 

3 SEC. 4. APPLICATION OF CURRENT LAW. 

4 Gaming conducted by the Tribe in the Compact-Des5 ignated Area shall be subject to— 

6 (1) the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 

7 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.); and 

8 (2) sections 1166 through 1168 of title 18, 

9 United States Code. 

10 SEC. 5. REAFFIRMATION OF STATUS AND ACTIONS. 

11 (a) ADMINISTRATION.—Land placed into trust pur12 suant to this Act shall— 

13 (1) be a part of the Pascua Yaqui Reservation 

14 and administered in accordance with the laws and 

15 regulations generally applicable to land held in trust 

16 by the United States for an Indian Tribe; and 

17 (2) be deemed to have been acquired and taken 

18 into trust on September 18, 1978. 

19 (b) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 

20 shall— 

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

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

23 in land in existence before the date of the enactment 

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

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

5 permitted before the date of the enactment of this 

6 Act; or 

7 (4) alter or diminish the right of the Tribe to 

8 seek to have additional land taken into trust by the 

9 United States for the benefit of the Tribe. 

Æ 


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