Title: To reaffirm the trust status of land taken into trust by the United States pursuant to the Act of June 18, 1934, for the benefit of an Indian tribe that was federally recognized on the date that the land was taken into trust, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Native Americans

Summary:
This bill reaffirms the trust status of land taken into trust by the United States pursuant to the Indian Reorganization Act before the enactment of this bill for the benefit of an Indian tribe that was federally recognized when the land was taken into trust. Department of the Interior actions to take land into trust under the Indian Reorganization Act are ratified and confirmed as if the actions were taken under a law specifically authorizing or directing them.
The bill applies to all claims pending on, or filed on or after, the bill's enactment.
Land taken into trust that has been ratified and confirmed pursuant to this bill must remain Indian country.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 131 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 131

  To reaffirm the trust status of land taken into trust by the United 
  States pursuant to the Act of June 18, 1934, for the benefit of an 
 Indian tribe that was federally recognized on the date that the land 
             was taken into trust, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2017

   Mr. Cole introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To reaffirm the trust status of land taken into trust by the United 
  States pursuant to the Act of June 18, 1934, for the benefit of an 
 Indian tribe that was federally recognized on the date that the land 
             was taken into trust, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REAFFIRMATION OF STATUS AND ACTIONS.

    (a) Reaffirmation of Trust Status.--Land taken into trust by the 
United States pursuant to the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 465), 
before the date of enactment of this Act for the benefit of an Indian 
tribe that was federally recognized on the date that the land was taken 
into trust is reaffirmed as trust land.
    (b) Ratification of Actions of the Secretary.--Any action taken by 
the Secretary of the Interior for the purpose of acquiring and taking 
land into trust under the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 465), is 
hereby ratified and confirmed as fully and for all intents and purposes 
as if that action had been taken under a Federal law specifically 
authorizing or directing that action.
    (c) Application.--This Act shall apply to all claims (including 
claims challenging the validity of title or the effectiveness of any 
action of the Secretary acquiring and taking land into trust) pending 
on the date of the enactment of this Act or filed on or after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Indian Country.--Any land taken into trust that has been 
ratified and confirmed pursuant to this Act shall remain Indian country 
pursuant to section 1151 of title 18, United States Code.
    (e) Additional Land.--Nothing in this Act shall alter or diminish 
the right of any federally recognized Indian tribe or the authority of 
the Secretary with respect to land taken into trust after the date of 
the enactment of this Act for the benefit of a federally recognized 
Indian tribe.
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