I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6525 
To provide for development of the Former Bennett Freeze Area, to contribute 
to the rehabilitation of the economic, housing, infrastructure, health, 
and educational condition of those affected by the former Bennett Freeze, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 15, 2010 
Mrs. KIRKPATRICK of Arizona introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the 
Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for development of the Former Bennett Freeze 
Area, to contribute to the rehabilitation of the economic, 
housing, infrastructure, health, and educational condition 
of those affected by the former Bennett Freeze, 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 ‘‘Former Bennett 
Freeze Area Development Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ONHIR.—The term ‘‘ONHIR’’ means the 
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(3) TRUST
FUND.—The term ‘‘Trust Fund’’ 
means the Former Bennett Freeze Area Rehabilita-
tion Trust Fund established under this Act. 
SEC. 3. ONHIR TRANSITION. 
(a) REQUEST BY TRIBE; AUTHORIZED PROGRAMS.— 
Upon the request of the Navajo Nation or the Hopi Tribe 
by tribal resolution, the Commissioner of the Office of 
Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation shall enter into a self- 
determination contract or contracts with the requesting 
Indian tribe to plan, conduct, and administer programs, 
functions, services, or activities (or portion thereof), in-
cluding construction programs administered by the Com-
missioner that pertain directly to the requesting Indian 
tribe. Programs, functions, services, or activities con-
tracted under this subsection shall include administrative 
functions of the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Reloca-
tion that support the delivery of services to Indians, in-
cluding those administrative activities supportive of, but 
not included as part of, the service delivery programs de-
scribed in this subsection that are otherwise contractable. 
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Such administrative functions shall be contractable with-
out regard to the organizational level within the Office of 
Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation that carries out such 
functions. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—The Commissioner shall issue 
regulations implementing subsection (a) that, to the max-
imum extent feasible— 
(1) parallel the requirements of the Indian Self- 
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
U.S.C. 450f); and 
(2) reflect the independent agency status of the 
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation. 
SEC. 4. FORMER BENNETT FREEZE AREA REHABILITATION 
TRUST FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established in 
the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be 
known as the Former Bennett Freeze Area Rehabilitation 
Trust Fund, which shall consist of the funds appropriated 
pursuant to subsection (f) of this section and any interest 
or investment income accrued on such funds. 
(b) SECRETARY
AS
TRUSTEE; INVESTMENT
OF 
FUNDS.—The Secretary shall be the trustee of the Former 
Bennett Freeze Area Rehabilitation Trust Fund and shall 
be responsible for investment of the funds in such Trust 
Fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon receipt and 
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approval of a plan for the use of those funds consistent 
with subsection (c), the Secretary shall transfer these 
funds to the Navajo-Hopi Land Commission Office of the 
Navajo Nation, or its designee, as trustee. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS; PURPOSES.—Funds in 
the Former Bennett Freeze Area Rehabilitation Trust 
Fund, including any interest or investment accruing there-
on, shall be available to the Navajo Nation solely for pur-
poses which will contribute to the continuing rehabilitation 
and improvement of the economic, housing, infrastructure, 
health, educational, and social condition of families, and 
Navajo communities, that have been affected by the 
former Bennett Freeze. 
(d) DEPOSITS TO TRUST FUND.—The Trust Fund 
shall consist of— 
(1) a set-aside each fiscal year of 0.75 percent 
of any amounts appropriated for the Operation of 
Indian Programs budget of the Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs; 
(2) a set-aside each fiscal year of 5.0 percent 
of any amounts appropriated for the Indian Housing 
Block Grant Program under title I of the Native 
American Housing and Self-Determination Act of 
1996; 
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(3) a set-aside each fiscal year of 0.75 percent 
of any amounts appropriated for the Rural Develop-
ment Program (title III); and 
(4) any amounts appropriated, transferred, or 
credited to the Trust Fund under any provision of 
law. 
(e) TERMINATION OF TRUST FUND.—The Rehabili-
tation Trust Fund shall terminate when, upon petition by 
the Navajo Nation, the Secretary determines that the 
goals of the Trust Fund have been met. All funds in the 
Trust Fund on such date shall be transferred to the 
Treasury. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS; REIM-
BURSEMENT OF GENERAL FUND.—There is hereby au-
thorized to be appropriated for the Former Bennett 
Freeze Area Rehabilitation Trust Fund such sums as may 
be necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2025. 
SEC. 5. MISCELLANEOUS. 
(a) EXPANSION OF ONHIR AUTHORITY.—Section 12 
of Public Law 93–531 (25 U.S.C. 640d–11(d)) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) The Commissioner is authorized to carry 
out a rehabilitation program to redress the effects of 
Federal development restrictions (commonly referred 
to as the ‘Bennett Freeze’) in the western portion of 
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the Navajo Reservation. This program shall be lim-
ited to housing construction and renovation, infra-
structure improvements, and economic development 
initiatives. 
‘‘(5) There are authorized to be appropriated 
such sums as may be necessary to carry out the pro-
gram described in paragraph 4.’’. 
(b) NAVAJO REHABILITATION TRUST FUND.—Sec-
tion 32 of Public Law 93–531 (25 U.S.C. 640d–30) is 
amended— 
(1) in the first sentence of subsection (f), by 
striking ‘‘and the United States has been reimbursed 
for funds appropriated under subsection (f) of this 
section’’; 
(2) in the first sentence of subsection (g), by 
striking ‘‘1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994’’ and 
all that follows through the final period and insert-
ing ‘‘2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (g), by striking the second 
sentence. 
(c) RELOCATION OF HOUSEHOLDS AND MEMBERS.— 
Section 1 of Public Law 93–531 (25 U.S.C. 640d) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
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‘‘(f) The Navajo Nation has the right to negotiate 
and approve an Accommodation Agreement with the Hopi 
Tribe for any Navajo head of household residing on Hopi 
Partitioned Land that has not otherwise entered into an 
Accommodation Agreement but intends to remain on the 
Hopi Partitioned Land.’’. 
(d) RELINQUISHMENT OF ACCOMMODATION AGREE-
MENT AND ELIGIBILITY FOR RELOCATION BENEFITS.— 
The Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996 
is amended by adding a new section 13 as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 13. RELINQUISHMENT OF ACCOMMODATION AGREE-
MENT AND ELIGIBILITY FOR RELOCATION 
BENEFITS. 
‘‘Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the 
Settlement Agreement, or the Accommodation Agreement, 
any Navajo family that has entered into an Accommoda-
tion Agreement shall have the right— 
‘‘(1) to relinquish that Agreement at any time 
up until the closure of the Office of Navajo and 
Hopi Indian Relocation; and 
‘‘(2) after relinquishment under paragraph (1), 
to receive the full relocation benefits to which the 
family would otherwise have been entitled had the 
family not signed the Accommodation Agreement, 
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including relocation housing, counseling, and other 
services.’’. 
(e) APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out the 
programs set forth in the amendments made by this sec-
tion. Funds appropriated under this subsection shall be 
in addition to funds made available for use on the Navajo 
and Hopi Reservations out of appropriations heretofore or 
hereafter granted for the benefit, care, or assistance of 
Indians in general, or made pursuant to other authoriza-
tions in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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