I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6707 

To amend the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 to advance 

equality for Wabanaki nations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 11, 2022 

Mr. GOLDEN (for himself and Ms. PINGREE) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 

to advance equality for Wabanaki nations, 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 ‘‘Advancing Equality 

5 for Wabanaki Nations Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF CERTAIN LAWS. 

7 (a) APPLICATION OF STATE LAWS.—The Maine In8 dian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–420) 

9 is amended— 

10 (1) in section 3— 


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1 (A) in subsection (m), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

2 the end; 

3 (B) in subsection (n), by striking the pe4 riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

5 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(o) ‘Mi’kmaq Nation’ means the sole successor to 

7 the Micmac Nation as constituted in aboriginal times in 

8 what is now the State of Maine, and all its predecessors 

9 and successors in interest, and which is represented, as 

10 of the date of enactment of this subsection, as to lands 

11 within the United States, by the Mi’kmaq Council.’’; and 

12 (2) in section 6— 

13 (A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘provided 

14 in section 8(e) and section 5(d)(4)’’ and insert15 ing ‘‘otherwise provided in this Act’’; and 

16 (B) in subsection (h)— 

17 (i) by striking ‘‘Except as otherwise 

18 provided in this Act, the’’ and inserting 

19 ‘‘The’’; 

20 (ii) in the first sentence, by inserting 

21 ‘‘or enacted for the benefit of’’ before ‘‘In22 dians, Indian nations’’; 

23 (iii) by inserting ‘‘that is in effect as 

24 of the date of the enactment of the AdVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:14 Feb 17, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6707.IH H6707

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1 vancing Equality for Wabanaki Nations 

2 Act, (2)’’ after ‘‘United States (1)’’; 

3 (iv) by striking ‘‘also (2)’’ and insert4 ing ‘‘also (3)’’; and 

5 (v) by inserting ‘‘, unless Federal law 

6 or the State laws of Maine provide for the 

7 application of such Federal law or regula8 tion’’ after ‘‘State’’ and before the period 

9 at the end. 

10 (b) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INDIAN CHILD WEL11 FARE ACT.—Section 8 of the Maine Indian Claims Settle12 ment Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–420) is amended— 

13 (1) in subsection (a)— 

14 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘Passama15 quoddy Tribe’’ and inserting a comma; 

16 (B) by inserting ‘‘, the Houlton Band of 

17 Maliseet Indians, or the Mi’kmaq Nation’’ after 

18 ‘‘Penobscot Nation’’; and 

19 (C) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘re20 spective tribe or nation’’ each place it appears 

21 and inserting ‘‘respective tribe, nation, or 

22 band’’; 

23 (2) in subsection (b)— 

24 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘Passama25 quoddy Tribe’’ and inserting a comma; and 


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1 (B) by inserting ‘‘, the Houlton Band of 

2 Maliseet Indians, or the Mi’kmaq Nation’’ after 

3 ‘‘Penobscot Nation’’; 

4 (3) by striking subsection (e); 

5 (4) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub6 section (e); and 

7 (5) in subsection (e), as so redesignated— 

8 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘Passama9 quoddy Tribe’’ and inserting a comma; 

10 (B) by inserting ‘‘, the Houlton Band of 

11 Maliseet Indians, or the Mi’kmaq Nation’’ after 

12 ‘‘Penobscot Nation’’; and 

13 (C) by striking ‘‘or nation’’ and inserting 

14 ‘‘, nation, or band’’. 

15 (c) CONSTRUCTION.—Section 16 of the Maine Indian 

16 Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–420) is 

17 amended— 

18 (1) by striking ‘‘(a)’’ at the beginning; and 

19 (2) by striking subsection (b). 

20 (d) AROOSTOOK BAND OF MICMACS SETTLEMENT

21 ACT.—The Aroostook Band of Micmacs Settlement Act 

22 (Public Law 102–171) is amended by striking section 8. 

Æ 


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