I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1144 
To restore an opportunity for tribal economic development on terms that 
are equal and fair, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 13, 2013 
Mr. STOCKMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To restore an opportunity for tribal economic development 
on terms that are equal and fair, 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 ‘‘Alabama-Coushatta 
Tribe of Texas Equal and Fair Opportunity Settlement 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF 
POLICY. 
Congress finds and declares that: 
(a) FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS.— 
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(1) It is the policy of the United States to pro-
mote tribal self-determination and economic self-suf-
ficiency and to support the resolution of disputes 
over historical claims. 
(2) Sam Houston, as a leader in the Texas Rev-
olution and the President of the Republic of Texas, 
established friendly relations with the tribes, ex-
pressed his personal appreciation for the assistance 
of the tribes during the fight for Texas independ-
ence, and endeavored to protect their lands and 
rights. 
(3) The United States, pursuant to Federal law 
and in accordance with several Federal court deci-
sions, has affirmed the rights of tribes, including the 
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas (‘‘Alabama- 
Coushatta Tribe’’), to free and undisturbed use and 
occupancy of its aboriginal lands, including the right 
to compensation when those rights are violated. 
(4) The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe holds ab-
original title to land in southeastern Texas that has 
been subject to illegal trespass and use, depriving 
the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of critical economic 
development opportunities, including valuable timber 
production and oil and gas leasing. 
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(5) In June 2000, the United States Court of 
Federal Claims ruled that the Alabama-Coushatta 
Tribe retained aboriginal title to 5.5 million acres of 
land in southeastern Texas. In its decision, the 
Court also ruled that the United States is respon-
sible for the Tribe’s loss of use of more than 2.85 
million acres. 
(6) In October 2002, the United States Court 
of Federal Claims adopted the sum of Two Hundred 
Seventy Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars 
($270,600,000) as the jointly stipulated amount of 
economic damages to be recovered by the Alabama- 
Coushatta Tribe from the United States. 
(7) There is pending before the United States 
District Court for the Eastern District of Texas a 
lawsuit by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, seeking de-
claratory and injunctive relief based on the United 
States failure to discharge its fiduciary duty to the 
Tribe. 
(8) Despite the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe’s 
strongly held beliefs about the rights it possesses re-
garding its aboriginal lands, the Tribe has decided 
to forego, relinquish, waive, and otherwise disclaim 
any such rights, on the condition that Congress au-
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