IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 146 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
APRIL 17, 2018 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs 
AN ACT 
To take certain Federal lands in Tennessee into trust for 
the benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee 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, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:41 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H146.RFS
H146
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
HR 146 RFS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Eastern Band of Cher-
okee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act’’. 
SEC. 2. LAND TAKEN INTO TRUST FOR THE EASTERN BAND 
OF CHEROKEE INDIANS. 
(a) LANDS INTO TRUST.—Subject to such rights of 
record as may be vested in third parties to rights-of-way 
or other easements or rights-of-record for roads, utilities, 
or other purposes, the following Federal lands managed 
by the Tennessee Valley Authority and located on or above 
the 820-foot (MSL) contour elevation in Monroe County, 
Tennessee, on the shores of Tellico Reservoir, are declared 
to be held in trust by the United States for the use and 
benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians: 
(1) SEQUOYAH MUSEUM PROPERTY.—Approxi-
mately 46.0 acres of land generally depicted as 
‘‘Sequoyah Museum’’, ‘‘Parcel 1’’, and ‘‘Parcel 2’’ 
on the map titled ‘‘Eastern Band of Cherokee His-
toric Lands Reacquisition Map 1’’ and dated April 
30, 2015. 
(2) SUPPORT PROPERTY.—Approximately 11.9 
acres of land generally depicted as ‘‘Support Parcel’’ 
on the map titled ‘‘Eastern Band of Cherokee His-
toric Lands Reacquisition Map 2’’ and dated April 
30, 2015. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:41 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H146.RFS
H146
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
HR 146 RFS
(3) CHOTA MEMORIAL PROPERTY AND TANASI 
MEMORIAL PROPERTY.—Approximately 18.2 acres of 
land generally depicted as ‘‘Chota Memorial 1’’ and 
‘‘Tanasi Memorial’’ on the map titled ‘‘Eastern 
Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Map 
3’’ and dated April 30, 2015, and including the 
Chota Memorial and all land within a circle with a 
radius of 86 feet measured from the center of the 
Chota Memorial without regard to the elevation of 
the land within the circle. 
(b) PROPERTY ON LANDS.—In addition to the land 
taken into trust by subsection (a), the improvements on 
and appurtenances thereto, including memorials, are and 
shall remain the property of the Eastern Band of Cher-
okee Indians. 
(c) REVISED MAPS.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of a land transaction made pursuant to this section, 
the Tennessee Valley Authority, after consultation with 
the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Secretary 
of the Interior, shall submit revised maps that depict the 
land taken into trust under this section, including any cor-
rections made to the maps described in this section to the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Indian Affairs of the 
Senate. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:41 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H146.RFS
H146
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
HR 146 RFS
(d) CONTOUR
ELEVATION
CLARIFICATION.—The 
contour elevations referred to in this Act are based on 
MSL Datum as established by the NGS Southeastern 
Supplementary Adjustment of 1936 (NGVD29). 
(e) CONDITIONS.—The lands taken into trust under 
this section shall be subject to the conditions described 
in section 5. 
SEC. 3. PERMANENT EASEMENTS TAKEN INTO TRUST FOR 
THE EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS. 
(a) PERMANENT EASEMENTS.—The following perma-
nent easements for land below the 820-foot (MSL) con-
tour elevation for the following Federal lands in Monroe 
County, Tennessee, on the shores of Tellico Reservoir, are 
declared to be held in trust by the United States for the 
benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians: 
(1) CHOTA
PENINSULA.—Approximately 8.5 
acres of land generally depicted as ‘‘Chota Memorial 
2’’ on the map titled ‘‘Eastern Band of Cherokee 
Historic Lands Reacquisition Map 3’’ and dated 
April 30, 2015. 
(2) CHOTA-TANASI TRAIL.—Approximately 11.4 
acres of land generally depicted as ‘‘Chota-Tanasi 
Trail’’ on the map titled ‘‘Eastern Band of Cherokee 
Historic Lands Reacquisition Map 3’’ and dated 
April 30, 2015. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:41 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H146.RFS
H146
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
HR 146 RFS
(b) REVISED MAPS.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of a land transaction made pursuant to this section, 
the Tennessee Valley Authority, after consultation with 
the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Secretary 
of the Interior, shall submit to the Committee on Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Indian Affairs of the Senate revised maps that 
depict the lands subject to easements taken into trust 
under this section, including any corrections necessary to 
the maps described in this section. 
(c) CONDITIONS.—The lands subject to easements 
taken into trust under this section shall be subject to the 
use rights and conditions described in section 5. 
SEC. 4. TRUST ADMINISTRATION AND PURPOSES. 
(a) APPLICABLE LAWS.—Except as described in sec-
tion 5, the lands subject to this Act shall be administered 
under the laws and regulations generally applicable to 
lands and interests in lands held in trust on behalf of In-
dian tribes. 
(b) USE OF LAND.—Except the lands described in 
section 2(a)(2), the lands subject to this Act shall be used 
principally for memorializing and interpreting the history 
and culture of Indians and recreational activities, includ-
ing management, operation, and conduct of programs of 
and for— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:41 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H146.RFS
H146
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
HR 146 RFS
(1) the Sequoyah birthplace memorial and mu-
seum; 
(2) the memorials to Chota and Tanasi as 
former capitals of the Cherokees; 
(3) the memorial and place of reinterment for 
remains of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians 
and other Cherokee tribes, including those trans-
ferred to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and 
other Cherokee tribes and those human remains and 
cultural items transferred by the Tennessee Valley 
Authority to those Cherokee tribes under the Native 
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act 
(25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.); and 
(4) interpreting the Trail of Tears National 
Historic Trail. 
(c) USE
OF SUPPORT PROPERTY.—The land de-
scribed in section 2(a)(2) shall be used principally for the 
support of lands subject to this Act and the programs of-
fered by the Tribe relating to such lands and their pur-
poses including— 
(1) classrooms and conference rooms; 
(2) cultural interpretation and education pro-
grams; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:41 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H146.RFS
H146
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS
HR 146 RFS
(3) temporary housing of guests participating 
in such programs or the management of the prop-
erties and programs; and 
(4) headquarters offices and support space for 
the trust properties and programs. 
(d) LAND USE.—The principal purposes of the use 
of the land described in section 3(a)— 
(1) paragraph (1), shall be for a recreational 
trail from the general vicinity of the parking lot to 
the area of the Chota Memorial and beyond to the 
southern portion of the peninsula, including inter-
pretive signs, benches, and other compatible im-
provements; and 
(2) paragraph (2), shall be for a recreational 
trail between the Chota and Tanasi Memorials, in-
cluding interpretive signs, benches, and other com-
patible improvements. 
SEC. 5. USE RIGHTS, CONDITIONS. 
(a) FLOODING OF LAND AND ROADS.—The Ten-
nessee Valley Authority may temporarily and intermit-
tently flood the lands subject to this Act that lie below 
the 824-foot (MSL) contour elevation and the road access 
to such lands that lie below the 824-foot (MSL) contour 
elevation. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:41 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H146.RFS
H146
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with BILLS