I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2973 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to notify units of local government 
when a Native American group files a petition to become a federally 
recognized Indian tribe and before the decision on the petition is made, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 19, 2009 
Mr. CAMPBELL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to notify units of 
local government when a Native American group files 
a petition to become a federally recognized Indian tribe 
and before the decision on the petition is made, 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. NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—When a petition requesting that 
a tribe be recognized, acknowledged, or reacknowledged 
through the Federal acknowledgment process as a feder-
ally recognized Indian tribe is filed with the Department 
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of the Interior, the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, shall notify in writ-
ing units of local government as follows: 
(1) Notification that a petition was filed and is 
still pending on the date of the enactment of this 
Act shall be made not later than 30 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) Notification that a petition has been filed 
on or after the date of the enactment of this Act 
shall be made not later than 60 days after the peti-
tion is filed. 
(3) Notification of a decision on a petition shall 
be made not later than 90 days before the decision 
is announced. 
(b) UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.—A unit of local 
government required to be notified under subsection (a)— 
(1) is local city, parish, or county government 
located within a 25-mile radius of land— 
(A) over which the Native American group 
would be given jurisdiction by or pursuant to 
the petition; 
(B) that would be taken into trust for the 
benefit of the Native American group by or pur-
suant to the petition; and 
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(C) ownership of which would be trans-
ferred to the Native American group by or pur-
suant to the petition; and 
(2) does not include any Indian tribe, school, or 
private persons or entities. 
(c) LIMITATION ON TRUST LAND.—The Secretary of 
the Interior may not take land into trust for the benefit 
of an Indian tribe or any member of an Indian tribe, un-
less an Act enacted after the date of the enactment of 
this Act specifically instructs the Secretary to take such 
land into trust for that Indian tribe or a member of that 
Indian tribe. 
SEC. 2. WAITING PERIOD ON GAMING ACTIVITIES. 
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 23. WAITING PERIOD ON GAMING ACTIVITIES. 
‘‘This Act shall not apply to an Indian tribe or to 
Indian lands of an Indian tribe until that Indian tribe has 
been a federally recognized Indian tribe for a period of 
not less than 25 continuous years. This section shall not 
apply to Indian tribes that were federally recognized be-
fore the date of the enactment of this section.’’. 
Æ 
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