Pala Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2023

Subjects: Native Americans, Federal-Indian relations, Gambling, Indian lands and resources rights, Land transfers

Summary:  <p><b>Pala Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of </b><strong></strong><b>2023</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of the Interior to take approximately 721.12 acres of land in San Diego County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, if the tribe transfers title to that land to the United States. The land is made part of the Pala Indian Reservation.</p> <p>The bill generally prohibits gaming on any of the land taken into trust.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 423 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 423

  To take certain land located in San Diego County, California, into 
  trust for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 20, 2023

 Mr. Issa (for himself and Mr. Vargas) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To take certain land located in San Diego County, California, into 
  trust for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Pala Band of Mission Indians Land 
Transfer Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF LAND IN TRUST FOR THE PALA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS.

    (a) Transfer and Administration.--
            (1) Transfer of lands into trust.--If, not later than 180 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Tribe 
        transfers title to the land referred to in subsection (b) to 
        the United States, the Secretary, not later than 180 days after 
        such transfer, shall take that land into trust for the benefit 
        of the Tribe.
            (2) Administration.--The land transferred under paragraph 
        (1) shall be part of the Pala Indian Reservation and 
        administered in accordance with the laws and regulations 
        generally applicable to land held in trust by the United States 
        for an Indian Tribe.
    (b) Land Description.--The land referred to in subsection (a)(1) is 
the approximately 721.12 acres of land located in San Diego County, 
California, generally depicted as ``Gregory Canyon Property Boundary'' 
on the map titled ``Pala Gregory Canyon Property Boundary and 
Parcels''.
    (c) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall--
            (1) enlarge, impair, or otherwise affect any right or claim 
        of the Tribe to any land or interest in land that is in 
        existence before the date of the enactment of this Act;
            (2) affect any water right of the Tribe in existence before 
        the date of the enactment of this Act; or
            (3) terminate or limit any access in any way to any right-
        of-way or right-of-use issued, granted, or permitted before the 
        date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Restricted Use of Transferred Lands.--The Tribe may not 
conduct, on the land taken into trust for the Tribe pursuant to this 
Act, gaming activities--
            (1) as a matter of claimed inherent authority; or
            (2) under any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming 
        Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) and regulations 
        promulgated by the Secretary or the National Indian Gaming 
        Commission under that Act.
    (e) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (2) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Pala Band of 
        Mission Indians.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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