An Act to confer jurisdiction on the States of California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin, with respect to criminal offenses and civil causes of action committed or arising on Indian reservations within such States, and for other purposes
PL 83-280 (H.R.1063), enacted 08/15/1953

588 
PUBLIC LAW 280-AUG. 15, 1953 
[67 S T A T . 
Effective date. 
be modified so as to apply to service performed by employees in posi-
tions covered by the Wisconsin retirement fund. 
" (2) All employees in positions covered by the Wisconsin retirement 
fund at any time on or after January 1,1951, shall, for the purposes of 
subsection (c) only, be deemed to be a separate coverage group; except 
that there shall be excluded from such separate coverage group all 
employees in positions to which the agreement applies v^ithout regard 
to this subsection. 
"(3) The modification pursuant to this subsection shall exclude 
(in the case of employees in the coverage group established by para-
graph (2) of this subsection) service performed by any individual 
during any period before he is included under the Wisconsin retire-
ment fund. 
"(4) The modification pursuant to this subsection shall, if the 
State of Wisconsin requests it, exclude (in the case of employees in the 
coverage group established by paragraph (2) of this subsection) all 
service performed in policemen's positions, all service performed in 
firemen's positions, or both." 
SEC. 2. For the purposes of section 218 (f) of the Social Security 
Act (relating to effective dates of agreements), the amendment made 
by the first section of this Act shall take effect as of January 1, 1951. 
Approved August 15, 1953. 
August 15, 1953 
[H. R. 1063] 
Public Law 280 
CHAPTER 505 
AN ACT 
To confer jurisdiction on the States of California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, 
and Wisconsin, with respect to criminal offenses and civil causes of action 
committed or arising on Indian reservations within such States, and for 
other purposes. 
Indians. 
. S t a t e 
jurisdic-
tion over criminal 
offenses. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That chapter 53 of 
title 18, United States Code, is hereby amended by inserting at the 
end of the chapter analysis preceding section 1151 of such title the 
following new item: 
"1162. State jurisdiction over offenses committed by or against Indians in the 
Indian country-" 
SEC. 2. Title 18, United States Code, is hereby amended by insert-
ing in chapter 53 thereof immediately after section 1161 a new section, 
to be designated as section 1162, as follows: 
"§ 1162. State jurisdiction over offenses committed by or against 
Indians in the Indian country 
"(a) Each of the States listed in the following table shall have 
jurisdiction over offenses committed by or against Indians in the 
areas of Indian country listed opposite the name of the State to the 
same extent that such State has jurisdiction over offenses committed 
elsewhere within the State, and the criminal laws of such State shall 
have the same force and effect within such Indian country as they 
have elsewhere within the State: 
"State of 
Indian country affected 
California 
All Indian country within the State 
Minnesota 
All Indian country within the State, except the Red 
Lake Reservation 
Nebraska 
. 
All Indian country within the State 
Oregon 
All Indian country within the State, except the Warm 
Springs Reservation 
Wisconsin 
All Indian country within the State, except the 
Menominee Reservation 
67 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 280-AUG. 15, 1953 
589 
"(b) Nothing in this section shall authorize the alienation, encum-
brance, or taxation of any real or personal property, including water 
rights, belonging to any Indian or any Indian tribe, band, or com-
munity that is held in trust by the United States or is subject to a 
restriction against alienation imposed by the United States; or shall 
authorize regulation of the use of such property in a manner incon-
sistent with any Federal treaty, agreement, or statute or with any 
regulation made pursuant thereto; or shall deprive any Indian or 
any Indian tribe, band, or community of any right, privilege, or 
immunity afforded under Federal treaty, agreement, or statute with 
respect to hunting, trapping, or fishing or the control, licensing, or 
regulation thereof. 
"(c) The provisions of sections 1152 and 1153 of this chapter shall 
not be applicable within the areas of Indian country listed in sub-
section (a) of this section." 
SEC. 3. 
Chapter 85 of title 28, United States Code, is hereby 
amended by inserting at the end of the chapter analysis preceding 
section 1331 of such title the following new item: 
"1360. state civil jurisdiction in actions to which Indians are parties." 
SEC. 4. Title 28, United States Code, is hereby amended by inserting 
in chapter 85 thereof immediately after section 1359 a new section, to 
be designated as section 1360, as follows: 
"§ 1360. State civil jurisdiction in actions to which Indians are 
parties 
"(a) Each of the States listed in the following table shall have 
jurisdiction over civil causes of action between Indians or to which 
Indians are parties which arise in the areas of Indian country listed 
opposite the name of the State to the same extent that such State has 
jurisdiction over other civil causes of action, and those civil laws of 
such State that are of general application to private persons or private 
property shall have the same force and effect within such Indian 
country as they have elsewhere within the State: 
"State of 
Indian country affected 
California 
All Indian country within the State 
Minnesota 
All Indian country within the State, except the Red Lake 
Reservation 
Nebraska 
All Indian country within the State 
Oregon 
All Indian country within the State, except the Warm Springs 
Reservation 
Wisconsin 
All Indian country within the State, except the Menominee 
Reservation 
"(b) Nothing in this section shall authorize the alienation, encum-
brance, or taxation of any real or personal property, including water 
rights, belonging to any Indian or any Indian tribe, band, or com-
munity that is held in trust by the United States or is subject to a 
restriction against alienation imposed by the United States; or shall 
authorize regulation of the use of such property in a manner incon-
sistent with any Federal treaty, agreement, or statute or with any 
regulation made pursuant thereto; or shall confer jurisdiction upon 
the State to adjudicate, in probate proceedings or otherwise, the owner-
ship or right to possession of such property or any interest therein. 
"(c) Any tribal ordinance or custom heretofore or hereafter 
adopted by an Indian tribe, band, or community in the exercise of any 
authority which it may possess shall, if not inconsistent with any 
applicable civil law of the State, be given full force and effect in the 
determination of civil causes of action pursuant to this section." 
Taxation of prop-
erty, etc. 
S t a t e 
jurisdic-
t i o n o v e r 
c i v i l 
causes. 
T axation of prop-
erty, etc. 
27000 O - 53 - 40 
590 
PUBLIC LAW 281-AUG. 15, 1953 
[67 ST A T . 
Repeal. 
Removal of legal 
irr5)ediment. 
Consent of U. S. 
to other States. 
SEC. 5. Section 1 of the Act of October 5, 1949 (63 Stat. 705, ch. 
604), is hereby repealed, but such repeal shall not affect any pro-
ceedings heretofore instituted under that section. 
SEC. 6. Notwithstanding the provisions of any Enabling Act for the 
admission of a State, the consent of the United States is hereby given 
to the people of any State to amend, where necessary, their State con-
stitution or existing statutes, as the case may be, to remove any legal 
impediment to the assumption of civil and criminal jurisdiction in 
accordance with the provisions of this Act: Provided^ That the pro-
visions of this Act shall not become effective with respect to such 
assumption of jurisdiction by any such State until the people thereof 
have appropriately amended their State constitution or statutes as 
the case may be. 
SEC. 7. The consent of the United States is hereby given to any 
other State not having jurisdiction with respect to criminal offenses 
or civil causes of action, or with respect to both, as provided for in 
this Act, to assume jurisdiction at such time and in such manner as 
the people of the State shall, by affirmative legislative action, obligate 
and bind the State to assumption thereof. 
Approved August 15, 1953. 
August 15, 1953 
[H. R. 3409] 
Public Law 281 
• 
• 
CHAPTER 506 
AN ACT 
•' 
' 
To terminate certain Federal restrictions upon Indians. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
Repeals. 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That sections 467 
and 2136 of the Revised Statutes (25 U. S. C, sec. 266) and sec-
tion 2135 of the Revised Statutes (25 U. S. C, sec. 265), all of the said 
laws being laws which forbid the sale, purchase, or possession by 
Indians or personal property which may be sold, purchased, or pos-
sessed by non-Indians, are hereby repealed. 
SEC. 2. (a) Section 1157 of title 18 of the United States Code, as 
amended, is further amended by striking the period at the end thereof 
and adding the following: " : Provided^ That this section shall apply 
only to livestock purchased by or for Indians with funds provided 
from the revolving loan fund established pursuant to the Acts of 
June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), and June 26, 1936 (49 Stat. 1967), as 
amended and supplemented, or from tribal loan funds used under 
regulations of the Secretary of the Interior, and to livestock issued to 
Indians as loans repayable 'in kind', and to the increase of all such 
livestock, and only until such time as such loans are repaid: Pro-
vided further^ That it shall be the duty of any purchaser of Indian 
livestock to use reasonable diligence to ascertain that such livestock 
are not subject to such loans." 
Repeal. 
(b) Sectiou 1 of the Act of July 4, 1884 (23 Stat. 94, 25 U. S. C, 
sec. 195), is repealed. 
Approved August 15, 1953. 
Livestock. 
62 Stat. 759. 
25 u s e 461-509 
passim. 
August 15, 1953 
[H. R. 4508] 
Public Law 282 
CHAPTER 507 
AN ACT 
To authorize tlie sale of certain lands to the State of Oklahoma. 
Oklahoma. 
Conveyance. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary