IIB

107TH CONGRESS

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.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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HR 1913 RFS

1 SECTION 1. PUEBLO OF ACOMA LAND AND MINERAL CON2 SOLIDATION.

3 (a) VALUATION.—Not later than 6 months after the

4 date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of the

5 Interior shall determine the extent and the value of the

6 nontribal interest ownership of the subsurface rights, in7 cluding mineral rights, within the boundaries of the

8 Acoma Indian Reservation.

9 (b) LAND EXCHANGES.—Upon completion of the

10 valuation required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall,

11 unless the Secretary exercises an option under subsection

12 (c), negotiate an exchange with any willing sellers of inter13 ests in nontribal land (including interests in mineral or

14 other surface or subsurface rights) within the boundaries

15 of the Acoma Indian Reservation for interests in Federal

16 land that is—

17 (1) located within the boundaries of the State

18 of New Mexico;

19 (2) identified by the Bureau of Land Manage20 ment as available for disposal; and

21 (3) of approximately the same value as the in22 terest in land for which it is being exchanged.

23 (c) PURCHASE OPTION.—At the discretion of the

24 Secretary, instead of a land exchange under subsection

25 (b), the Secretary may acquire interests in nontribal land

26 (including interests in mineral or other surface or sub-
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HR 1913 RFS

1 surface rights) within the boundaries of the Acoma Indian

2 Reservation through—

3 (1) direct cash purchase of the interests in non4 tribal land for the fair market value determined

5 under subsection (a); and

6 (2) issuance to any owner of the interests in

7 nontribal land of a Certificate of Bidding Rights in

8 such form and manner as provided for under regula9 tions promulgated by the Secretary under provisions

10 of the Act of February 25, 1920 (commonly known

11 as the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.))

12 or the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43

13 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.) for mineral leasing and bidding

14 rights equal to the fair market value determined

15 under subsection (a).

16 (d) COST SHARING.—The costs of the valuation re17 quired under subsection (a) and any land exchange under

18 subsection (b) shall be equally shared between the owners

19 of the interests in nontribal land and the Secretary. This

20 subsection shall apply to the cost of the valuation under

21 subsection (a) even if the Secretary elects to exercise the

22 options for acquisition under subsection (c).

23 SEC. 2. TIMELINE; LAND TAKEN INTO TRUST.

24 The Secretary shall complete such negotiations and

25 exchanges not later than 3 years after the date of the en-
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HR 1913 RFS

1 actment of this section and shall place interests in land

2 within the boundaries of the Acoma Indian Reservation

3 that are acquired under this section into trust for the

4 Pueblo of Acoma.

Passed the House of Representatives November 27,

2001.

Attest: JEFF TRANDAHL,

Clerk.