I 
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 Representa-
tives 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 
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of this Act, the Tribe transfers title to the land re-
ferred to in subsection (b) to the United States, the 
Secretary, not later than 180 days after such trans-
fer, 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 en-
actment of this Act; 
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(2) affect any water right of the Tribe in exist-
ence 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. 
Æ 
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