I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3535 
To restore Federal recognition to the Ruffey Rancheria of California, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2017 
Mr. LAMALFA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To restore Federal recognition to the Ruffey Rancheria of 
California, 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 ‘‘Ruffey Rancheria Res-
toration Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. RESTORATION OF FEDERAL RECOGNITION, RIGHTS, 
AND PRIVILEGES. 
(a) FEDERAL RECOGNITION.—Federal recognition is 
hereby restored to the Tribe. Except as otherwise provided 
in this Act, all laws and regulations of general application 
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to Indians and nations, tribes, or bands of Indians that 
are not inconsistent with any specific provision of this Act 
shall be applicable to the Tribe and its members. 
(b) RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES.— 
Except as provided in subsection (d), all rights and privi-
leges of the Tribe and its members under any Federal 
treaty, Executive order, agreement, or statute, or under 
any other authority which were diminished or lost under 
the Act of August 18, 1958 (Public Law 85–671; 72 Stat. 
619), are hereby restored, and the provisions of such Act 
shall be inapplicable to the Tribe and its members after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) FEDERAL SERVICES AND BENEFITS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Without regard to the exist-
ence of a reservation, the Tribe and its members 
shall be eligible, on and after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, for all Federal services and bene-
fits furnished to federally recognized Indian Tribes 
or their members. For the purposes of Federal serv-
ices and benefits available to members of federally 
recognized Indian tribes residing on a reservation, 
members of the Tribe residing in the Tribe’s service 
area shall be deemed to be residing on a reservation. 
(2) RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.—The eligibility 
on the part of the Tribe and its members for, or re-
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ceipt of, services and benefits under paragraph (1) 
shall not be considered as income, resources, or oth-
erwise when determining the eligibility for or com-
putation of any payment or other benefit to such 
tribe, individual, or household under— 
(A) any financial aid program of the 
United States, including grants and contracts 
subject to the Indian Self-Determination Act; or 
(B) any other benefit to which such tribe, 
household, or individual would otherwise be en-
titled under any Federal or federally assisted 
program. 
(d) HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, 
AND WATER RIGHTS.—Nothing in this Act shall expand, 
reduce, or affect in any manner any hunting, fishing, trap-
ping, gathering, or water rights of the Tribe and its mem-
bers. 
(e) CERTAIN RIGHTS NOT ALTERED.—Except as 
specifically provided in this Act, nothing in this Act shall 
alter any property right or obligation, any contractual 
right or obligation, or any obligation for taxes levied. 
SEC. 3. TRANSFER OF LAND TO BE HELD IN TRUST. 
(a) LANDS TO BE TAKEN IN TRUST.—Upon applica-
tion by the Tribe, the Secretary shall have the authority 
under this section to accept into trust for the benefit of 
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the Tribe not more than 441 acres of real property located 
in Siskiyou County, California, after the property is con-
veyed or otherwise transferred to the Secretary and if, at 
the time of such conveyance or transfer, there are no ad-
verse legal claims to such property, including outstanding 
liens, mortgages, or taxes. 
(b) FORMER
TRUST
LANDS
OF
THE
RUFFEY 
RANCHERIA.—Subject to the conditions specified in this 
section, real property eligible for trust status under this 
section shall include Indian owned fee land held by persons 
listed as distributees or dependent members in the dis-
tribution plan approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
and published in the Federal Register on April 11, 1961, 
or such distributees’ or dependent members’ Indian heirs 
or successors in interest. 
(c) LANDS TO BE PART OF THE RESERVATION.— 
Any real property taken into trust for the benefit of the 
Tribe pursuant to this Act shall be part of the Tribe’s 
reservation. 
(d) LANDS TO BE NONTAXABLE.—Any real property 
taken into trust for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to 
this section shall be exempt from all local, State, and Fed-
eral taxation as of the date that such land is transferred 
to the Secretary. 
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