I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 597 
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 
JANUARY 20, 2017 
Mr. DENHAM introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
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. 
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 2017’’. 
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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:02 Jan 30, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H597.IH
H597
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
1958. The Tribe was restored to Federal recognition 
in 1991, but the conditions of its restoration have 
prevented it from regaining a homeland on its origi-
nal lands. 
(2) Congress needs to take action to reverse 
historic 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 liv-
ing in scattered bands and communities. 
(4) The Lytton Rancheria’s original homeland 
was purchased by the United States in 1926 pursu-
ant to congressional authority designed to remedy 
the unique tragedy that befell the Indians of Cali-
fornia 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 
farming and ranching. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:02 Jan 30, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H597.IH
H597
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
(6) By the mid-1950s, Federal Indian policy 
had shifted back towards a policy of terminating In-
dian tribes. In 1958, Congress enacted the 
Rancheria Act of 1958 (72 Stat. 619), which slated 
41 Rancherias in California, including the Lytton 
Rancheria, for termination after certain conditions 
were met. 
(7) On August 1, 1961, the Lytton Rancheria 
was terminated by the Federal Government. This 
termination was illegal because the conditions for 
termination under the Rancheria Act had never been 
met. After termination was implemented, the Tribe 
lost its lands and was left without any means of sup-
porting itself. 
(8) In 1987, the Tribe joined three other tribes 
in a lawsuit against the United States challenging 
the illegal termination of their Rancherias. A Stipu-
lated 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), restored the Lytton Rancheria to its status 
as a federally 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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:02 Jan 30, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H597.IH
H597
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
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 
governments and neighboring landowners, that pro-
hibit the Lytton Rancheria from exercising its full 
Federal rights on its original homeland in the Alex-
ander Valley. 
(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 
purposes. 
(12) The Tribe has since acquired, from willing 
sellers at fair market value, property in Sonoma 
County near the Tribe’s historic Rancheria. This 
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 in-
tends to develop more of the lands to be taken into 
trust for viniculture. The Tribe’s investment in the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:02 Jan 30, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H597.IH
H597
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
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 sustain-
ability. 
(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 phys-
ically on the ground and used for transportation on 
January 1, 2016, and extending to the furthest ex-
tent of Sonoma County. 
(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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:02 Jan 30, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H597.IH
H597
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
action is necessary to fully restore the Tribe to the 
status 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 con-
sideration 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. 
(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, sub-
ject to valid existing rights, contracts, and management 
agreements related to easements and rights-of-way. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:02 Jan 30, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H597.IH
H597
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
(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 adminis-
tered in accordance with the laws and regulations gen-
erally applicable 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 
Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2710 et seq.) 
until after March 15, 2037. 
(2) 
PERMANENT
PROHIBITION.—Notwith-
standing 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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:02 Jan 30, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H597.IH
H597
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
the furthest extent of Sonoma County shall not be 
eligible for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regu-
latory 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 re-
view or approval of the Secretary in order to be effective, 
including review or approval under section 2103 of the Re-
vised Statutes (25 U.S.C. 81). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:02 Jan 30, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H597.IH
H597
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS