Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Judgment Fund Distribution Act of 2012
PL 112-179 (H.R.1272), enacted 10/05/2012

126 STAT. 1411 
PUBLIC LAW 112–179—OCT. 5, 2012 
Public Law 112–179 
112th Congress 
An Act 
To provide for the use and distribution of the funds awarded to the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, et al., by the United States Court of Federal Claims in Docket 
Numbers 19 and 188, 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 ‘‘Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Judg-
ment Fund Distribution Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) On January 22, 1948, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, 
representing all Chippewa bands in Minnesota except the Red 
Lake Band, filed a claim before the Indian Claims Commission 
in Docket No. 19 for an accounting of all funds received and 
expended pursuant to the Act of January 14, 1889, 25 Stat. 
642, and amendatory acts (hereinafter referred to as the Nelson 
Act). 
(2) On August 2, 1951, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, 
representing all Chippewa bands in Minnesota except the Red 
Lake Band, filed a number of claims before the Indian Claims 
Commission in Docket No. 188 for an accounting of the Govern-
ment’s obligation to each of the member bands of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe under various statutes and treaties that are 
not covered by the Nelson Act of January 14, 1889. 
(3) On May 17, 1999, a Joint Motion for Findings in Aid 
of Settlement of the claims in Docket No. 19 and 188 was 
filed before the Court. 
(4) The terms of the settlement were approved by the 
Court and the final judgment was entered on May 26, 1999. 
(5) On June 22, 1999, $20,000,000 was transferred to the 
Department of the Interior and deposited into a trust fund 
account established for the beneficiaries of the funds awarded 
in Docket No. 19 and 188. 
(6) Pursuant to the Indian Tribal Judgment Funds Use 
or Distribution Act (25 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.), Congress must 
act to authorize the use or distribution of the judgment funds. 
(7) On October 1, 2009, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribal 
Executive Committee passed Resolution 146–09, approving a 
plan to distribute the judgment funds and requesting that 
the United States Congress act to distribute the judgment 
funds in the manner described by the plan. 
Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe 
Judgment Fund 
Distribution Act 
of 2012. 
Oct. 5, 2012 
[H.R. 1272] 
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126 STAT. 1412 
PUBLIC LAW 112–179—OCT. 5, 2012 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purpose of this Act: 
(1) AVAILABLE FUNDS.—The term ‘‘available funds’’ means 
the funds awarded to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and 
interest earned and received on those funds, less the funds 
used for payments authorized under section 4. 
(2) BANDS.—The term ‘‘Bands’’ means the Bois Forte Band, 
Fond du Lac Band, Grand Portage Band, Leech Lake Band, 
Mille Lacs Band, and White Earth Band. 
(3) JUDGMENT FUNDS.—The term ‘‘judgment funds’’ means 
the funds awarded on May 26, 1999, to the Minnesota Chippewa 
Tribe by the Court of Federal Claims in Docket No. 19 and 
188. 
(4) MINNESOTA
CHIPPEWA
TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe’’ means the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Min-
nesota, composed of the Bois Forte Band, Fond du Lac Band, 
Grand Portage Band, Leech Lake Band, Mille Lacs Band, and 
White Earth Band. It does not include Red Lake Band of 
Chippewa Indians, Minnesota. 
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of the Interior. 
SEC. 4. LOAN REIMBURSEMENTS TO MINNESOTA CHIPPEWA TRIBE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to reimburse 
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe the amount of funds, plus interest 
earned to the date of reimbursement, that the Minnesota Chippewa 
Tribe contributed for payment of attorneys’ fees and litigation 
expenses associated with the litigation of Docket No. 19 and 188 
before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the distribution of 
judgment funds. 
(b) CLAIMS.—The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe’s claim for 
reimbursement of funds expended shall be— 
(1) presented to the Secretary not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act; 
(2) certified by the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe as being 
unreimbursed to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe from other 
funding sources; 
(3) paid with interest calculated at the rate of 6.0 percent 
per annum, simple interest, from the date the funds were 
expended to the date the funds are reimbursed to the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe; and 
(4) paid from the judgment funds prior to the division 
of the funds under section 5. 
SEC. 5. DIVISION OF JUDGMENT FUNDS. 
(a) MEMBERSHIP ROLLS.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe shall 
submit to the Secretary updated membership rolls for each Band, 
which shall include all enrolled members the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
(b) DIVISIONS.—After all funds have been reimbursed under 
section 4, and the membership rolls have been updated under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 
(1) set aside for each Band a portion of the available 
judgment funds equivalent to $300 for each member enrolled 
within each Band; and 
Deadline. 
Certification. 
Deadline. 
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126 STAT. 1413 
PUBLIC LAW 112–179—OCT. 5, 2012 
(2) after the funds are set aside in accordance with para-
graph (1), divide 100 percent of the remaining funds into equal 
shares for each Band. 
(c) SEPARATE ACCOUNTS.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) deposit all funds described in subsection (b)(1) into 
a ‘‘Per Capita’’ account for each Band; and 
(2) deposit all funds described in subsection (b)(2) into 
an ‘‘Equal Shares’’ account for each Band. 
(d) WITHDRAWAL OF FUNDS.—After the Secretary deposits the 
available funds into the accounts described in subsection (c), a 
Band may withdraw all or part of the monies in its account. 
(e) DISBURSEMENT
OF
PER
CAPITA
PAYMENTS.—All funds 
described in subsection (b)(1) shall be used by each Band only 
for the purposes of distributing one $300 payment to each individual 
member of the Band. Each Band may— 
(1) distribute the $300 payment to the parents or legal 
guardians on behalf of each dependent Band member instead 
of distributing such $300 payment to the dependent Band 
member; or 
(2) deposit into a trust account the $300 payment to each 
dependent Band member for the benefit of such dependent 
Band member, to be distributed under the terms of such trust. 
(f) DISTRIBUTION OF UNCLAIMED PAYMENTS.—One year after 
the funds described in subsection (b)(1) are made available to the 
Bands, all unclaimed payments described in subsection (e) shall 
be returned to the Secretary, who shall divide these funds into 
equal shares for each Band, and deposit the divided shares into 
the accounts described in subsection (c)(2) for the use of each 
Band. 
(g) LIABILITY.—If a Band exercises the right to withdraw monies 
from its accounts, the Secretary shall not retain liability for the 
expenditure or investment of the monies after each withdrawal. 
SEC. 6. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 
(a) PREVIOUS OBLIGATIONS.—Funds disbursed under this Act 
shall not be liable for the payment of previously contracted obliga-
tions of any recipient as provided in Public Law 98–64 (25 U.S.C. 
117b(a)). 
Deadline. 
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126 STAT. 1414 
PUBLIC LAW 112–179—OCT. 5, 2012 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1272: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 112–501 (Comm. on Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 158 (2012): 
June 18, considered and passed House. 
Sept. 21, considered and passed Senate. 
(b) INDIAN JUDGMENT FUNDS DISTRIBUTION ACT.—All funds 
distributed under this Act are subject to the provisions in the 
Indian Judgment Funds Distribution Act (25 U.S.C. 1407). 
Approved October 5, 2012. 
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