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 ‘‘Northern Cheyenne 
Lands Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Northern Cheyenne Tribe has depended 
on its lands and land-based resources to support its 
way of life since time immemorial. 
(2) The Tribe has made supreme and historic 
sacrifices to repossess and maintain its homeland, in-
cluding its Reservation in Montana. 
(3) The Tribe currently suffers from tremendous 
social and economic challenges, including a lack of 
employment opportunities on the Reservation, which 
can be improved by strengthening its control over its 
land base, natural resources, and trust funds. 
(4) The Tribe and its members are currently the 
beneficial owners of over 95 percent of the surface 
lands on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and all 
but approximately 5,000 subsurface acres of the Res-
ervation. 
(5) The Tribe seeks to obtain ownership of ap-
proximately 5,000 subsurface acres on its Reservation 
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it does not own because of an error by the United 
States to secure that subsurface when the Reservation 
was expanded in 1900. 
(6) In 2002, the Tribe agreed by settlement to 
dismiss its lawsuit against the United States, which 
alleged that the United States failed to protect the 
Reservation from the impacts of coal development, in 
return for assistance in securing tribal ownership of 
those subsurface rights substantially in the form of 
this Act, and to secure mitigation funding to address 
the impacts of coal development in areas adjacent to 
the Reservation, among other conditions. 
(7) To increase tribal ownership of the surface 
lands, the Tribe has purchased approximately 932 
acres of land within its Reservation that were taken 
out of trust ownership status for various reasons. 
(8) The Tribe has purchased approximately 635 
acres of land near Bear Butte, South Dakota, which 
the Tribe considers sacred ground for its members, as 
well as for members of other tribes. 
(9) The Tribe now seeks to have the aforemen-
tioned lands and subsurface within the Reservation 
and Bear Butte lands taken into trust on its behalf 
by the United States. 
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(10) If the actions authorized by this Act are 
completed, the Tribe will waive all legal claims 
against the United States arising out of the long-
standing loss of the subsurface rights and arising out 
of the United States management of the Northern 
Cheyenne Trust Fund. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the North-
ern Cheyenne Trust Fund identified in the June 7, 
1999 Agreement Settling Certain Issues Relating to 
the Tongue River Dam Project which was entered into 
by the Tribe, the State of Montana, and delegates of 
the Secretary of the Interior, and managed by the Of-
fice of Special Trustee in the Department of the Inte-
rior. 
(2) GREAT NORTHERN PROPERTIES.—The term 
‘‘Great Northern Properties’’ means the Great North-
ern Properties Limited Partnership, which is a Dela-
ware limited partnership. 
(3) PERMANENT FUND.—The term ‘‘Permanent 
Fund’’ means the Northern Cheyenne Tribe Perma-
nent Fund managed by the Northern Cheyenne Tribe 
pursuant to the Plan for Investment, Management 
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and Use of the Fund, as amended by vote of the Trib-
al membership on November 2, 2010. 
(4) RESERVATION.—The term ‘‘Reservation’’ 
means the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of Montana. 
(7) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the North-
ern Cheyenne Tribe. 
SEC. 4. TRIBAL FEE LANDS TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall take the approximately 1,568 
acres of land depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Northern Chey-
enne Land Act—Fee-to-Trust Lands’’ and dated March 26, 
2014, and on the map entitled ‘‘Northern Cheyenne Land 
Act—Fee-to-Trust Lands—Lame Deer Townsite’’, and 
dated March 26, 2014, into trust for the benefit of the North-
ern Cheyenne Tribe. 
SEC. 5. MINERAL RIGHTS TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST. 
(a) COMPLETION OF MINERAL CONVEYANCES.—Not 
later than 60 days after the date on which the Secretary 
receives the notification described in subsection (d), in a 
single transaction— 
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(1) Great Northern Properties shall convey to the 
Tribe all right, title, and interest of Great Northern 
Properties, consisting of coal and iron ore mineral in-
terests, underlying the land on the Northern Cheyenne 
Reservation generally depicted as ‘‘Great Northern 
Properties’’ on the map entitled ‘‘Northern Cheyenne 
Land Act—Coal Tracts’’ and dated February 27, 
2014; 
(2) the Secretary shall convey to Great Northern 
Properties all right, title, and interest of the United 
States in and to the coal mineral interests underlying 
the land generally depicted as ‘‘Bull Mountains’’ and 
‘‘East Fork’’ on the map entitled ‘‘Northern Cheyenne 
Land Act—Coal Tracts’’ and dated February 27, 
2014; and 
(3) the Secretary shall ensure that the deed for 
the conveyance authorized by paragraph (2) shall in-
clude a covenant, running with the land— 
(A) that precludes the coal conveyed from 
being mined by methods other than underground 
mining techniques until any surface owner (as 
defined in section 714 of Public Law 95–87 (30 
U.S.C. 1304(e))) for any specific tract has given 
written consent to Great Northern Properties to 
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enter such specific tract and commence surface 
mining; and 
(B) shall not create any property interest in 
the United States or any surface owner (as de-
fined in section 714 of Public Law 95–87 (30 
U.S.C. 1304(e))). 
(b) TRUST STATUS.—Upon tribal request, the coal and 
iron ore mineral interests conveyed to the Tribe under this 
section shall be held in trust by the United States for the 
benefit of the Tribe. 
(c) IMMUNITIES.—The right, title, and interests con-
veyed to the Tribe under subsection (a)(1) shall not be sub-
ject to taxation by the State of Montana (including any 
political subdivision of the State of Montana). 
(d) REVENUE
SHARING
AGREEMENT.—Consistent 
with the Settlement Agreement entered into effective Feb-
ruary 19, 2002, by the Montana State Board of Land Com-
missioners and the Tribe, the Tribe and Great Northern 
Properties have agreed on a formula for sharing revenue 
from development of the Northern Cheyenne Federal Tracts 
in the event that the Northern Cheyenne Federal Tracts are 
developed at a later date. The Tribe shall notify the Sec-
retary in writing that the revenue sharing agreement re-
mains in effect. 
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SEC. 6. TRANSFER OF NORTHERN CHEYENNE TRUST FUND 
TO TRIBE. 
(a) TRANSFER OF FUND.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Fund shall be 
transferred to the Tribe and deposited into the Tribe’s Per-
manent Fund. 
(b) PERMITTED USES OF FUND.—The principal of the 
Fund, upon deposit in the Permanent Fund, shall be main-
tained in perpetuity, and the earnings of the Permanent 
Fund shall be used as provided in the Northern Cheyenne 
Tribe Permanent Fund Plan. 
(c) WAIVER OF LEGAL CLAIMS.—In return for transfer 
of the Fund under subsection (a), the Tribe shall waive any 
and all claims arising from the United States management 
of the Fund. 
SEC. 7. ELIGIBILITY FOR OTHER FEDERAL BENEFITS. 
No sums or other benefits provided to the Tribe under 
this Act shall result in the reduction or denial of any Fed-
eral services, benefits, or programs to the Tribe or to any 
member of the Tribe to which the Tribe or member is enti-
tled or eligible because of— 
(1) the status of the Tribe as a federally recog-
nized Indian tribe; or 
(2) the status of the member as a member of the 
Tribe. 
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Union Calendar No. 444 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4350 
[Report No. 113–597] 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to take lands 
and mineral rights on the reservation of the 
Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana and other 
culturally important lands into trust, and for 
other purposes. 
SEPTEMBER 15, 2014 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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