IB 
Union Calendar No. 492 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2538 
[Report No. 114–633] 
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 
MAY 21, 2015 
Mr. HUFFMAN (for himself and Mr. DENHAM) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
JUNE 21, 2016 
Additional sponsor: Mr. THOMPSON of California 
JUNE 21, 2016 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 21, 2015] 
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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. 
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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 2015’’. 
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 it was unjustly and unlawfully terminated in 
1958. The Tribe was restored to Federal recognition 
in 1991, but the conditions of its restoration have pre-
vented it from regaining a homeland on its original 
lands. 
(2) Congress needs to take action to reverse his-
toric injustices that befell the Tribe and have pre-
vented 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 living 
in scattered bands and communities. 
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(4) The Lytton Rancheria’s original homeland 
was purchased by the United States in 1926 pursuant 
to congressional authority designed to remedy the 
unique tragedy that befell the Indians of California 
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 farm-
ing and ranching. 
(6) By the mid-1950s, Federal Indian policy had 
shifted back towards a policy of terminating 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 ter-
mination after certain conditions were met. 
(7) On August 1, 1961, the Lytton Rancheria 
was terminated by the Federal Government. This ter-
mination was illegal because the conditions for termi-
nation under the Rancheria Act had never been met. 
After termination was implemented, 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 
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illegal termination of their Rancherias. A Stipulated 
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), re-
stored the Lytton Rancheria to its status as a feder-
ally recognized Indian tribe. 
(9) The Stipulated Judgment agreed that the 
Lytton Rancheria would have the ‘‘individual and 
collective status and rights’’ which it had prior to its 
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 gov-
ernments and neighboring landowners, that prohibit 
the Lytton Rancheria from exercising its full Federal 
rights on its original homeland in the Alexander Val-
ley. 
(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 pur-
poses. 
(12) The Tribe has since acquired, from willing 
sellers at fair market value, property in Sonoma 
County near the Tribe’s historic Rancheria. This 
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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 intends to 
develop more of the lands to be taken into trust for 
viniculture. The Tribe’s investment in the 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 sustainability. 
(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 
north of a line that runs in a cardinal east and west 
direction from the point where Highway Route 12 
crosses Highway 101 as they are physically on the 
ground and used for transportation on January 1, 
2016, and extending to the furthest extent of Sonoma 
County. 
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(17) Any agreement, now or in the future, re-
garding gaming restrictions between Sonoma County 
and the Tribe will be effective without further review 
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 
(18) 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 they can once again live 
communally and plan for future generations. This ac-
tion is necessary to fully restore the Tribe to the sta-
tus it had before it was wrongfully terminated in 
1961. 
(19) The Tribe and County of Sonoma have en-
tered into a Memorandum of Agreement 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. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purpose of this Act, the following definitions 
apply: 
(1) 
COUNTY.—The 
term 
‘‘County’’ 
means 
Sonoma County, California. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
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(3) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the Lytton 
Rancheria of California. 
SEC. 4. LANDS TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The land owned by the Tribe and 
generally depicted on the map titled ‘‘Lytton Fee Owned 
Property to be Taken into Trust’’ and dated May 1, 2015, 
is hereby taken into trust for the benefit of the Tribe, subject 
to valid existing rights, contracts, and management agree-
ments related to easements and rights-of-way. 
(b) LANDS TO BE MADE PART OF THE RESERVA-
TION.—Lands taken into trust under subsection (a) shall 
be part of the Tribe’s reservation and shall be administered 
in accordance with the laws and regulations generally ap-
plicable to property held in trust by the United States for 
an Indian tribe. 
SEC. 5. GAMING. 
(a) LANDS TAKEN INTO TRUST UNDER THIS ACT.— 
Lands taken into trust for the benefit of the Tribe under 
section 4 shall not be eligible for gaming under the Indian 
Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.). 
(b) OTHER LANDS TAKEN INTO TRUST.— 
(1) TIME-LIMITED PROHIBITION.—Lands taken 
into trust for the benefit of the Tribe in Sonoma 
County after the date of the enactment of this Act 
shall not be eligible for gaming under the Indian 
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Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2710 et seq.) until 
after March 15, 2037. 
(2) PERMANENT PROHIBITION.—Notwithstanding 
paragraph (1), lands located north of a line that runs 
in a cardinal east and west direction and is defined 
by California State Highway Route 12 as it crosses 
through Sonoma County at Highway 101 as they are 
physically on the ground and used for transportation 
on January 1, 2016, and extending to the furthest ex-
tent of Sonoma County shall not be eligible for gam-
ing under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 
U.S.C. 2710 et seq.). 
SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN LAW. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Memorandum of Agreement entered into by the Tribe and 
the County concerning taking land in the County into trust 
for the benefit of the Tribe, which was approved by the 
County Board of Supervisors on March 10, 2015, and any 
addenda and supplement thereto, is not subject to review 
or approval of the Secretary in order to be effective, includ-
ing review or approval under section 2103 of the Revised 
Statutes (25 U.S.C. 81). 
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Union Calendar No. 492 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2538 
[Report No. 114–633] 
A BILL 
To take lands in Sonoma County, California, into 
trust as part of the reservation of the Lytton 
Rancheria of California, and for other purposes. 
JUNE 21, 2016 
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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