IB 

Union Calendar No. 432 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6707 

[Report No. 117–599] 

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 

DECEMBER 7, 2022 

Additional sponsors: Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, Mr. SOTO, 

Mr. COSTA, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. CASE, and Mrs. TRAHAN

DECEMBER 7, 2022 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 11, 2022] 


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•HR 6707 RH

A BILL 

To amend the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 

to advance equality for Wabanaki nations, and for other 

purposes. 


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•HR 6707 RH

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 for 

5 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— 

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

12 the end; 

13 (B) in subsection (n), by striking the period 

14 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

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

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

17 to the Micmac Nation as constituted in aboriginal 

18 times in what is now the State of Maine, and all its 

19 predecessors and successors in interest, and which is 

20 represented, as of the date of enactment of this sub21 section, as to lands within the United States, by the 

22 Mi’kmaq Council.’’; and 

23 (2) in section 6— 


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•HR 6707 RH

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

2 in section 8(e) and section 5(d)(4)’’ and insert3 ing ‘‘otherwise provided in this Act’’; and 

4 (B) in subsection (h)— 

5 (i) by striking ‘‘Except as other wise 

6 provided in this Act, the’’ and inserting 

7 ‘‘The’’; 

8 (ii) by inserting ‘‘or enacted for the 

9 benefit of’’ before ‘‘Indians, Indian nations’’ 

10 the second place it appears; 

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

12 of the date of the enactment of the Advanc13 ing Equality for Wabanaki Nations Act, 

14 (2)’’ after ‘‘United States (1)’’; 

15 (iv) by striking ‘‘also (2)’’ and insert16 ing ‘‘also (3)’’; and 

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

18 or the State laws of Maine provide for the 

19 application of such Federal law or regula20 tion’’ before the period at the end. 

21 (b) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INDIAN CHILD WEL22 FARE ACT.—Section 8 of the Maine Indian Claims Settle23 ment Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–420) is amended— 

24 (1) in subsection (a)— 


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•HR 6707 RH

1 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘Passamaquoddy 

2 Tribe’’ and inserting a comma; 

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

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

5 ‘‘Penobscot Nation’’; and 

6 (C) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘re7 spective tribe or nation’’ each place it appears 

8 and inserting ‘‘respective tribe, nation, or band’’; 

9 (2) in subsection (b)— 

10 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘Passamaquoddy 

11 Tribe’’ and inserting a comma; and 

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

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

14 ‘‘Penobscot Nation’’; 

15 (3) by striking subsection (e); 

16 (4) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection 

17 (e); and 

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

19 (A) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘Passamaquoddy 

20 Tribe’’ and inserting a comma; 

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

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

23 ‘‘Penobscot Nation’’; and 

24 (C) by striking ‘‘or nation’’ and inserting ‘‘, 

25 nation, or band’’. 


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•HR 6707 RH

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

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

3 amended— 

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

5 (2) by striking subsection (b). 

6 (d) AMENDMENT TO THE AROOSTOOK BAND OF

7 MICMACS SETTLEMENT ACT.—The Aroostook Band of 

8 Micmacs Settlement Act (Public Law 102–171) is amended 

9 by striking section 8. 


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Union Calendar No. 432 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6707 

[Report No. 117–599] 

A BILL 

To amend the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act 

tions, and for other purposes. of 1980 to advance equality for Wabanaki naDECEMBER 7, 2022 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


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