Title: Advancing Equality for Wabanaki Nations Act
Policy area: Native Americans

Summary:
Advancing Equality for Wabanaki Nations Act
This bill allows the Wabanaki Nations in Maine to access future federal laws that are passed by Congress for the benefit of Indian tribes.
Four Indian tribes (Maliseet, Micmac, Penobscot, and Passamaquoddy) make up the Wabanaki Nations. Currently, these tribes are unable to access certain federal laws and related benefits because such laws are preempted by the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6707 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6707

  To amend the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 to advance 
         equality for Wabanaki nations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 11, 2022

Mr. Golden (for himself and Ms. Pingree) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 to advance 
         equality for Wabanaki nations, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Advancing Equality for Wabanaki 
Nations Act''.

SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF CERTAIN LAWS.

    (a) Application of State Laws.--The Maine Indian Claims Settlement 
Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-420) is amended--
            (1) in section 3--
                    (A) in subsection (m), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subsection (n), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(o) `Mi'kmaq Nation' means the sole successor to the Micmac 
Nation as constituted in aboriginal times in what is now the State of 
Maine, and all its predecessors and successors in interest, and which 
is represented, as of the date of enactment of this subsection, as to 
lands within the United States, by the Mi'kmaq Council.''; and
            (2) in section 6--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``provided in 
                section 8(e) and section 5(d)(4)'' and inserting 
                ``otherwise provided in this Act''; and
                    (B) in subsection (h)--
                            (i) by striking ``Except as otherwise 
                        provided in this Act, the'' and inserting 
                        ``The'';
                            (ii) in the first sentence, by inserting 
                        ``or enacted for the benefit of'' before 
                        ``Indians, Indian nations'';
                            (iii) by inserting ``that is in effect as 
                        of the date of the enactment of the Advancing 
                        Equality for Wabanaki Nations Act, (2)'' after 
                        ``United States (1)'';
                            (iv) by striking ``also (2)'' and inserting 
                        ``also (3)''; and
                            (v) by inserting ``, unless Federal law or 
                        the State laws of Maine provide for the 
                        application of such Federal law or regulation'' 
                        after ``State'' and before the period at the 
                        end.
    (b) Implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act.--Section 8 of 
the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-420) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' after ``Passamaquoddy 
                Tribe'' and inserting a comma;
                    (B) by inserting ``, the Houlton Band of Maliseet 
                Indians, or the Mi'kmaq Nation'' after ``Penobscot 
                Nation''; and
                    (C) in the second sentence, by striking 
                ``respective tribe or nation'' each place it appears 
                and inserting ``respective tribe, nation, or band'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' after ``Passamaquoddy 
                Tribe'' and inserting a comma; and
                    (B) by inserting ``, the Houlton Band of Maliseet 
                Indians, or the Mi'kmaq Nation'' after ``Penobscot 
                Nation'';
            (3) by striking subsection (e);
            (4) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (e); and
            (5) in subsection (e), as so redesignated--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' after ``Passamaquoddy 
                Tribe'' and inserting a comma;
                    (B) by inserting ``, the Houlton Band of Maliseet 
                Indians, or the Mi'kmaq Nation'' after ``Penobscot 
                Nation''; and
                    (C) by striking ``or nation'' and inserting ``, 
                nation, or band''.
    (c) Construction.--Section 16 of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement 
Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-420) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(a)'' at the beginning; and
            (2) by striking subsection (b).
    (d) Aroostook Band of Micmacs Settlement Act.--The Aroostook Band 
of Micmacs Settlement Act (Public Law 102-171) is amended by striking 
section 8.
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