I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1388 
To take lands in Sonoma County, California, into trust as part of the 
reservation of the Lytton Rancheria of California, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 27, 2019 
Mr. HUFFMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To take lands in Sonoma County, California, into trust as 
part of the reservation of the Lytton Rancheria of Cali-
fornia, 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 ‘‘Lytton Rancheria 
Homelands Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Lytton Rancheria of California is a fed-
erally recognized Indian tribe that lost its homeland 
after its relationship to the United States was un-
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justly and unlawfully terminated in 1958. The Tribe 
was restored to Federal recognition in 1991, but the 
conditions of its restoration have prevented it from 
regaining a homeland on its original lands. 
(2) Congress needs to take action to reverse 
historic injustices that befell the Tribe and that have 
prevented it from regaining a viable homeland for its 
people. 
(3) Prior to European contact there were as 
many as 350,000 Indians living in what is now the 
State of California. By the turn of the 19th century, 
that number had been reduced to approximately 
15,000 individuals, many of them homeless and liv-
ing in scattered bands and communities. 
(4) The Lytton Rancheria’s original homeland 
was purchased by the United States in 1926 pursu-
ant to congressional authority designed to remedy 
the unique tragedy that befell the Indians of Cali-
fornia and provide them with reservations called 
Rancherias to be held in trust by the United States. 
(5) After the Lytton Rancheria lands were pur-
chased by the United States, the Tribe settled on 
the land and sustained itself for several decades by 
farming and ranching. 
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(6) By the mid-1950s, Federal Indian policy 
had shifted back towards a policy of terminating the 
Federal relationship with Indian tribes. In 1958, 
Congress enacted the Rancheria Act of 1958 (72 
Stat. 619), which slated 41 Rancherias in California, 
including the Lytton Rancheria, for termination 
after certain conditions were met. 
(7) On August 1, 1961, the Federal Govern-
ment terminated its relationship with the Lytton 
Rancheria. This termination was illegal because the 
conditions for termination under the Rancheria Act 
had never been met. After termination was imple-
mented, the Tribe lost its lands and was left without 
any means of supporting itself. 
(8) In 1987, the Tribe joined three other tribes 
in a lawsuit against the United States challenging 
the illegal termination of their Rancherias. A Stipu-
lated Judgment in the case, Scotts Valley Band of 
Pomo Indians of the Sugar Bowl Rancheria v. 
United States, No. C–86–3660 (N.D.Cal. March 22, 
1991), restored the Lytton Rancheria to its status 
as a federally recognized Indian tribe. 
(9) The Stipulated Judgment provides that the 
Lytton Rancheria would have the ‘‘individual and 
collective status and rights’’ which it had prior to its 
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termination and expressly contemplated the acquisi-
tion of trust lands for the Lytton Rancheria. 
(10) The Stipulated Judgment contains provi-
sions, included at the request of the local county 
governments and neighboring landowners, that pro-
hibit the Lytton Rancheria from exercising its full 
Federal rights on its original homeland in the Alex-
ander Valley. 
(11) In 2000, approximately 9.5 acres of land 
in San Pablo, California, was placed in trust status 
for the Lytton Rancheria for economic development 
purposes. 
(12) The Tribe has since acquired, from willing 
sellers at fair market value, property in Sonoma 
County near the Tribe’s historic Rancheria. This 
property, which the Tribe holds in fee status, is suit-
able for a new homeland for the Tribe. 
(13) On a portion of the land to be taken into 
trust, which portion totals approximately 124.12 
acres, the Tribe plans to build housing for its mem-
bers and governmental and community facilities. 
(14) A portion of the land to be taken into 
trust is being used for viniculture, and the Tribe in-
tends to develop more of the lands to be taken into 
trust for viniculture. The Tribe’s investment in the 
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ongoing viniculture operation has reinvigorated the 
vineyards, which are producing high-quality wines. 
The Tribe is operating its vineyards on a sustainable 
basis and is working toward certification of sustain-
ability. 
(15) No gaming shall be conducted on the lands 
to be taken into trust by this Act. 
(16) No gaming shall be conducted on any 
lands taken into trust on behalf of the Tribe in 
Sonoma County after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
(17) By directing that these lands be taken into 
trust, the United States will ensure that the Lytton 
Rancheria will finally have a permanently protected 
homeland on which the Tribe can once again live 
communally and plan for future generations. This 
action is necessary to fully restore the Tribe to the 
status it had before it was wrongfully terminated in 
1961. 
(18) The Tribe and County of Sonoma have en-
tered into a Memorandum of Agreement as amended 
in 2018 in which the County agrees to the lands in 
the County being taken into trust for the benefit of 
the Tribe in consideration for commitments made by 
the Tribe. 
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