tled under any Federal or federally assisted pro-
gram. 
(d) HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, GATHERING, AND 
WATER RIGHTS.—Nothing in this Act shall expand, reduce, 
or affect in any manner any hunting, fishing, trapping, 
gathering, or water rights of the Tribe and its members, 
provided, that any such rights shall not extend into the Ter-
ritory or State of Oregon. 
(e) CERTAIN RIGHTS NOT ALTERED.—Except as spe-
cifically 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. 
(f) RIGHTS OF THE QUARTZ VALLEY INDIAN RES-
ERVATION.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed as in-
fringing upon or diminishing the territorial rights or sov-
ereignty of the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation. 
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 the 
Tribe real property located in Siskiyou County, California, 
after the property is conveyed or otherwise transferred to 
the Secretary and if, at the time of such conveyance or 
transfer, there are no adverse legal claims to such property, 
including outstanding liens, mortgages, or taxes. 
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(b) FORMER
TRUST
LANDS
OF
THE
RUFFEY 
RANCHERIA.—Subject to the conditions specified in this sec-
tion, real property eligible for trust status under this section 
shall include Indian owned fee land in Siskiyou County, 
California, that is held by persons listed as distributees or 
dependent members in the distribution plan approved by 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs and published in the Federal 
Register on April 11, 1961, or such distributees’ or depend-
ent members’ Indian heirs or successors in interest, pro-
vided, that such lands shall not include any lands located 
within the boundaries of the State of Oregon. 
(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 Federal 
taxation as of the date that such land is transferred to the 
Secretary. 
SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP ROLLS. 
(a) COMPILATION OF TRIBAL MEMBERSHIP ROLL.— 
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall, after consultation with the 
Tribe, compile a membership roll of the Tribe. 
(b) CRITERIA FOR ENROLLMENTS.— 
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(1) PRECONSTITUTION
ROLL.—Until a tribal 
constitution is adopted pursuant to section 6, an in-
dividual shall be placed on the Ruffey Rancheria 
membership roll if the individual is living, is not an 
enrolled member of another federally recognized In-
dian tribe, and if— 
(A) such individual’s name was listed on 
the Ruffey Rancheria distribution list compiled 
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and approved 
by the Secretary and published in the Federal 
Register on April 11, 1961, under Public Law 
85–671; 
(B) such individual was not listed on, but 
met the requirements that had to be met to be 
listed on the Ruffey Rancheria distribution list; 
or 
(C) the individual is a lineal descendant of 
an individual, living or dead, identified in sub-
paragraph (A) or (B), and has never been an en-
rolled member of any other Federally recognized 
Indian tribe. 
(2) ROLL AFTER ADOPTION OF CONSTITUTION.— 
After adoption of a tribal constitution under section 
6, such tribal constitution shall govern membership in 
the Tribe. 
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(c) CONCLUSIVE PROOF OF RUFFEY RANCHERIA IN-
DIAN ANCESTRY.—For the purpose of subsection (b), the 
Secretary shall accept any available evidence establishing 
Ruffey Rancheria Indian ancestry. The Secretary shall ac-
cept as conclusive evidence of Ruffey Rancheria Indian an-
cestry information contained in the letter regarding certain 
lands purchased for the use of Ruffey and other Indians 
near Etna, California, sent by Charles E. Kelsey, Special 
Agent for the California Indians, to the Commissioner of 
Indian Affairs dated June 24, 1913; residence on or adja-
cent to lands purchased or leased in Siskiyou County, Cali-
fornia, by Special Agent Charles E. Kelsey, provided that 
such lands were occupied by an individual with a bona fide 
relationship to the Ruffey Rancheria; and in the Ruffey 
Rancheria distribution list compiled by the Bureau of In-
dian Affairs and approved by the Secretary and published 
in the Federal Register on April 11, 1961. 
SEC. 5. INTERIM GOVERNMENT. 
Until a new tribal constitution and bylaws are adopt-
ed and become effective under section 6, the governing body 
of the Tribe shall be an Interim Council. The initial mem-
bership of the Interim Council shall consist of the members 
of the Executive Council of the Tribe on the date of the en-
actment of this Act, and the Interim Council shall continue 
to operate in the manner prescribed for the Executive Coun-
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cil under the tribal constitution of the Tribe adopted on 
December 19, 2014, as amended by Tribal Resolution 18- 
02, to the extent that such constitution is not contrary to 
Federal law. Any new members filling vacancies on the In-
terim Council shall meet the enrollment criteria set forth 
in section 4(b) and be elected in the same manner as are 
Executive Council members under the tribal constitution 
adopted December 19, 2014, as amended by Tribal Resolu-
tion 18-02. 
SEC. 6. TRIBAL CONSTITUTION. 
(a) ELECTION; TIME; PROCEDURE.—After the com-
pilation of the tribal membership roll under section 4, upon 
the written request of the Interim Tribal Council, the Sec-
retary shall conduct, by secret ballot, an election for the 
purpose of ratifying a final constitution for the Tribe. The 
election shall be held consistent with sections 16(c)(1) and 
16(c)(2)(A) of the Act of June 18, 1934 (commonly known 
as the Indian Reorganization Act; 25 U.S.C. 5123(c)(1) 
and 5123(c)(2)(A), respectively). Absentee voting shall be 
permitted regardless of voter residence. 
(b) ELECTION OF TRIBAL OFFICIALS; PROCEDURES.— 
Not later than 120 days after the Tribe ratifies a final con-
stitution under subsection (a), the Secretary shall conduct 
an election by secret ballot for the purpose of electing tribal 
officials as provided in such tribal constitution. Such elec-
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tion shall be conducted consistent with the procedures speci-
fied in subsection (a) except to the extent that such proce-
dures conflict with the tribal constitution. 
SEC. 7. LIMITATIONS ON INDIAN GAMING ON ACQUIRED 
LANDS. 
In addition to any other requirements under applica-
ble Federal law, gaming conducted pursuant to an excep-
tion under subsection (b)(1)(B) of section 20 of the Indian 
Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2719) shall not be con-
ducted on any land taken into trust by the United States 
for the benefit of the Tribe unless the Secretary determines, 
on the date that the land is taken into trust, that— 
(1) the Tribe has received a written determina-
tion by the Secretary that the land is eligible to be 
used for gaming under such section; and 
(2) the land is located in the county of Siskiyou, 
California, 5 miles or less away from lands within 
such County taken into trust under section 3 of this 
Act. 
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act: 
(1) INTERIM
COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Interim 
Council’’ means the governing body of the Tribe speci-
fied in section 6. 
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(2) MEMBER.—The term ‘‘member’’ means any 
person meeting the enrollment criteria under section 
4(b). 
(3) 
RESERVATION.—The 
term 
‘‘reservation’’ 
means those lands acquired and held in trust by the 
Secretary for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to sec-
tion 3. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(5) SERVICE
AREA.—The term ‘‘service area’’ 
means Siskiyou County in the State of California. 
Neither the Tribe’s service area nor its near-reserva-
tion area shall be extended into or located within the 
State of Oregon for any Federal or State program or 
service. 
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 
of California. 
(7) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the Ruffey 
Rancheria of California. 
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Union Calendar No. 843 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3535 
[Report No. 115–1087] 
A BILL 
To restore Federal recognition to the Ruffey 
Rancheria of California, and for other purposes. 
DECEMBER 20, 2018 
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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