Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Equitable Compensation Act

Bill: 114-s-2739
Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
Introduced: 2016-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources
Dams and canals
Electric power generation and transmission
Federal-Indian relations
Government trust funds
Indian claims
Indian lands and resources rights
Indian social and development programs
Washington State

Summary:
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: 

Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Equitable Compensation Act

 
This bill establishes the Spokane Tribe of Indians Recovery Trust Fund to compensate the Spokane Business Council for the use of tribal lands for the generation of hydropower from the Grand Coulee Dam.
 
The council must prepare a plan for the use of those payments to promote any combination of: (1) economic development; (2) infrastructure development; or (3) educational, health, recreational, and social welfare objectives of the tribe and its members.
 
The Bonneville Power Administration must make specified settlement payments to the tribe. 
 
Payments made to the council or tribe may be used or invested by the council in the same manner as other tribal governmental funds.
 
Deposit of amounts in the fund extinguishes all monetary claims that the tribe may have against the United States to a fair share of the annual hydropower revenues generated by the Grand Coulee Dam.

action_date: 2016-11-16
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 

Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Equitable Compensation Act

 
(Sec. 5) This bill establishes the Spokane Tribe of Indians Recovery Trust Fund to compensate the Spokane Business Council for the use of tribal lands for the generation of hydropower from the Grand Coulee Dam.
 
The council must prepare a plan for the use of those payments to promote any combination of: (1) economic development; (2) infrastructure development; or (3) educational, health, recreational, and social welfare objectives of the tribe and its members.
 
(Sec. 6) The Bonneville Power Administration must make specified settlement payments to the tribe. 
 
(Sec. 7) Payments made to the council or tribe may be used or invested by the council in the same manner as other tribal governmental funds. Amounts paid to the council are subject to an annual tribal government audit.
 
(Sec. 8) The Bonneville Power Administration is credited a specified amount on interest payments otherwise payable to the Department of the Treasury.
 
(Sec. 9) Deposit of amounts in the fund extinguishes all monetary claims that the tribe may have against the United States to a fair share of the annual hydropower revenues generated by the Grand Coulee Dam.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-11-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 672.
action_date: 2016-11-16
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Barrasso without amendment. With written report No. 114-377.
action_date: 2016-11-16
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Barrasso without amendment. With written report No. 114-377.
action_date: 2016-05-11
text: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate