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[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1913 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 1913

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 28, 2001

  Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
To require the valuation of nontribal interest ownership of subsurface 
 rights within the boundaries of the Acoma Indian Reservation, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. PUEBLO OF ACOMA LAND AND MINERAL CONSOLIDATION.

    (a) Valuation.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
determine the extent and the value of the nontribal interest ownership 
of the subsurface rights, including mineral rights, within the 
boundaries of the Acoma Indian Reservation.
    (b) Land Exchanges.--Upon completion of the valuation required by 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall, unless the Secretary exercises an 
option under subsection (c), negotiate an exchange with any willing 
sellers of interests in nontribal land (including interests in mineral 
or other surface or subsurface rights) within the boundaries of the 
Acoma Indian Reservation for interests in Federal land that is--
            (1) located within the boundaries of the State of New 
        Mexico;
            (2) identified by the Bureau of Land Management as 
        available for disposal; and
            (3) of approximately the same value as the interest in land 
        for which it is being exchanged.
    (c) Purchase Option.--At the discretion of the Secretary, instead 
of a land exchange under subsection (b), the Secretary may acquire 
interests in nontribal land (including interests in mineral or other 
surface or subsurface rights) within the boundaries of the Acoma Indian 
Reservation through--
            (1) direct cash purchase of the interests in nontribal land 
        for the fair market value determined under subsection (a); and
            (2) issuance to any owner of the interests in nontribal 
        land of a Certificate of Bidding Rights in such form and manner 
        as provided for under regulations promulgated by the Secretary 
        under provisions of the Act of February 25, 1920 (commonly 
        known as the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.)) or 
        the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) 
        for mineral leasing and bidding rights equal to the fair market 
        value determined under subsection (a).
    (d) Cost Sharing.--The costs of the valuation required under 
subsection (a) and any land exchange under subsection (b) shall be 
equally shared between the owners of the interests in nontribal land 
and the Secretary. This subsection shall apply to the cost of the 
valuation under subsection (a) even if the Secretary elects to exercise 
the options for acquisition under subsection (c).

SEC. 2. TIMELINE; LAND TAKEN INTO TRUST.

    The Secretary shall complete such negotiations and exchanges not 
later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this section and 
shall place interests in land within the boundaries of the Acoma Indian 
Reservation that are acquired under this section into trust for the 
Pueblo of Acoma.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 27, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.
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