I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5000
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to take lands in Yuma County,
Arizona, into trust as part of the reservation of the Cocopah Tribe
of Arizona, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 21, 2002
Mr. PASTOR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to take lands in
Yuma County, Arizona, into trust as part of the reserva-
tion of the Cocopah Tribe of Arizona, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cocopah Lands Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The reservation of the Cocopah Tribe of Ar-
izona is located in Yuma County, Arizona.
(2) That reservation was created by an Execu-
tive order signed by President Woodrow Wilson in
1917.
(3) That reservation is made up of three non-
contiguous tracts of land.
(4) The Tribe inhabits that reservation.
(5) The Tribe is in need of additional lands to
provide services such as adequate housing, infra-
structure, water, and services to its tribal members.
(6) The current land base of the reservation is
insufficient to provide such needs.
(7) The Tribe acquired six parcels of land con-
tiguous to its present reservation lands in 1986,
1993, and 1998, and these parcels are currently
classified as ‘‘Indian Lands’’ according to Federal
law.
(8) The acquired parcels are not commercially
viable for gaming and shall not be taken into trust
for gaming purposes.
(9) The best means of solving the Tribe’s land
needs to provide basic necessities to its tribal mem-
bers is to require the Secretary of the Interior to
take lands in Yuma County, Arizona, that are ac-
quired by the Tribe into trust for the Tribe subject
to the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions
apply:
(1) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the
Cocopah Tribe of Arizona.
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 4. LANDS TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST.
(a) LANDS TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST.—If the Tribe
transfers title to the land described in subsection (b) to
the Secretary, the Secretary shall take that land into trust
for the benefit of the Tribe, if at the time of such transfer
there are no adverse legal claims to such land, including
outstanding liens, mortgages, or taxes owed.
(b) LAND DESCRIBED.—The land referred to in sub-
section (a) is described as follows:
PARCEL 1
Lot 4 and the southwest quarter of the northwest
quarter of section 1, Township 10 South, Range 25 West
of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma
County, Arizona. Except that portion of the southwest
quarter of the northwest quarter of said section 1, Town-
ship 10 South, Range 25 West, lying Southeasterly of the
North Right-of-Way line of the United States Bureau of
Reclamation Levee.
PARCEL 2
Lot 1 and the southeast quarter of the northeast
quarter of section 2, Township 10 South, Range 25 West
of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma
County, Arizona.
PARCEL 3
That part of the East half of the southwest quarter
lying South of the East Main Bureau of Reclamation
Canal Right-of-Way in section 30, Township 9 South,
Range 23 West of the Gila and Salt River Base and Me-
ridian, Yuma County, Arizona.
PARCEL 4
A parcel of approximately 0.8866 acres consisting of
a portion of the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter
of section 30, Township 9 South, Range 23 West of the
Gila and Salt River Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona,
lying easterly of the United States Highway 95 right-of-
way and northerly of the Arizona Department of Trans-
portation County 15th Street right-of-way.
PARCEL 5
Lot 21, 24, and 25, section 29, lots 16 and 17, sec-
tion 30; and N1⁄2SW1⁄4SE1⁄4 of section 30, T.16S.; R22E;
SBM, Yuma County, Arizona.
PARCEL 6
POR NW4NE4, section 31, 16S 22E lying North of
United States Levee Exc N 220 feet subject to easement
on W 40 feet. APN# 111–27–0022B
(c) LANDS TO BE MADE PART OF THE RESERVA-
TION.—Land taken into trust pursuant to subsection (a)
shall be considered to be part of the Tribe’s initial reserva-
tion.
(d) SERVICE AREA.—For the purposes of the delivery
of Federal services to enrolled members of the Tribe, the
Tribe’s service area shall be Yuma County, Arizona.
(e) GAMING PROHIBITED.—Land taken into trust for
the benefit of the Tribe under this Act shall not be used
for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.
The Secretary may promulgate such regulations as
may be necessary to carry out this Act.
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