An Act to provide for the equalization of allotments on the Agua Caliente (Palm Springs) Reservation in California, and for other purposes
PL 86-339 (H.R.8587), enacted 09/21/1959

602 
PUBLIC LAW 86-339-SEPT. 21, 1959 
[73 ST A T , 
Tolls. 
R i g h t 
to 
sell, 
transfer, etc. 
Limitation. 
SEO. 2. Tlie San Benito International Bridge Company may fix 
and charge tolls for transit over the bridge referred to in the first 
section of this Act in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, 
and the laws of the United States, applicable to such tolls, and the 
rates of toll so fixed shall be the legal rates until changed under the 
authority contained in section 4 of the Act of March 23, 1906 (33 
U.S.C.,sec.494). 
SEC. 3. The San Benito International Bridge Company may sell, 
assign, transfer, or mortgage the rights, powers, and privileges con-
ferred on such Company by this Act to any public agency, or to an 
international bridge authority or commission, and any such agency, 
authority, or commission is authorized to exercise the rights, powers, 
and privileges acquired under this section (including acquisition by 
mortgage foreclosure) in the same manner as if such rights, powers, 
and privileges had been granted by this Act directly to such agency, 
authority, or commission. 
SEC. 4. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 6 of the Act of 
March 23, 1906 (33 U.S.C., sec. 496), this Act shall be null and void 
unless the actual construction of the bridge referred to in the first 
section of this Act is commenced within three years and completed 
within five years from the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 5. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is expressly 
reserved. 
Approved September 21, 1959. 
September 21, 1959 
[H. R. 8587] 
Public Law 86-339 
AN ACT 
To provide for the equalization of allotments on the Agua Caliente (Palm 
Springs) Reservation in California, and for other purposes. 
A g u a 
Caliente 
R e s e r v a t i o n , 
Calif. 
A l 1 o t m e n t s , 
equalization. 
Land values. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the Secretary 
of the Interior (hereinafter called the "Secretary") is authorized and 
directed to do whatever is necessary and proper to equalize as nearly 
as possible the values of all allotments of land on the Agua Caliente 
(Palm Springs) Reservation in California in accordance with the 
provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 2. Any member of the Agua Caliente Band (hereinafter called 
the "band") who is living on the date of the enactment of this Act 
and who has not received an allotment of land shall be given an allot-
ment in accordance with the provisions of law existing prior to this 
Act. No further allotments of land shall thereafter be made to any 
other or future born members of the band, or to their heirs or devisees, 
except for the purpose of equalization. This prohibition against fur-
ther allotments shall not be construed as a closing of the band's mem-
bership rolls. 
SEC. 3. (a) The Secretary shall determine on the basis of the con-
tract appraisals that were made in 1957 and 1958 (1) the value of all 
unallotted tribal land, and (2) the value of the allotment of each 
allottee who is living on the date of this Act, excluding the value of 
any improvements thereon. 
Where lands of a living allottee have 
been sold under the supervision of the Secretary, their value for the 
purpose of equalization shall be the amount received from such sale, 
excluding the value assigned to any improvements thereon. 
Where 
lands of a living allottee have been fee patented to and sold by the 
allottee, their value for the purpose of equalization shall be the 
appraised value of the lands, excluding improvements, as of the time 
73 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 86-339-SEPT. 21, 1959 
603 
of the sale, regardless of the amount received from the sale. The allot-
ments of allottees who are not living on the date of this Act shall be 
excluded from the equalization program. All values so determined 
by the Secretary shall be final and conclusive for the purposes of this 
Act. 
(b) In no event shall the following tribal lands be subject to allot-
ment, and they shall henceforth be set apart and designated as tribal 
reserves for the benefit and use of the band: 
Cemetery numbered 1, block 235, section 14, township 4 south, range 
4 east. 
Cemetery numbered 2, as now constituted pursuant to secretarial 
order, comprising approximately two acres. 
Roman Catholic Church, as now constituted pursuant to secretarial 
order, comprising approximately two acres. 
Mineral Springs, lots 3a, 4a, 13, and 14, section 14, township 4 south, 
range 4 east: Provided^ That no distribution to member of the band 
of the net rents, profits, and other revenues derived from that portion 
of these lands which is designated as "parcel B" in the supplement 
dated September 8,1958, to the lease by and between the Agua Caliente 
Band of Mission Indians and Palm Springs Spa dated January 21, 
1958, or of the net income derived from the investment of such net 
rents, profits, and other revenues or from the sale of said lands or of 
assets purchased with the net rents, profits, and other revenues afore-
said or with the net income from the investment thereof shall be made 
except to those enrolled members who are entitled to an equalization 
allotment or to a cash payment in satisfaction thereof under this Act 
or, in the case of such a member who died after the enactment of this 
Act, to those entitled to participate in his estate, and any such distribu-
tion shall be per capita to living enrolled members and per stirpes to 
participants in the estate of a deceased member. 
San Andreas Canyon, west half southeast quarter, southeast quarter 
southeast quarter section 3, township 5 south, range 4 east. 
Palm Canyon, south half and south half north half section 14, 
township 5 south, range 4 east; all section 24, township 5 south, 
range 4 east. 
Tahquitz Canyon, southwest quarter section 22, township 4 south, 
range 4 east; north half section 28, township 4 south, range 4 east. 
Murray Canyon, east half section 10, township 5 south, range 4 east. 
(c) On the basis of such values, the Secretary shall determine the 
highest level of equalization that is feasible for the members of the 
band who are living at the time of this Act by allotting all of the) 
unallotted tribal land, except the reserved areas listed in subsection 
(b) of this section, without regard to acreage limitations heretofore 
imposed by law. Such unallotted tribal land shall then be allotted 
to those members who have received allotments with a value that is 
less than the equalization figure deemed feasible in accordance with 
procedures prescribed by the Secretary. No selection of an allotment 
pursuant to such procedures shall create a vested right in the land 
until all selections authorized by this Act have been made, included 
in one schedule, and approved by the Secretary. Allotments there-
after made shall be subject to the same laws and regulations that apply 
to other trust allotments on the Agua Caliente Reservation. 
(d) The unallotted portions of section 18, township 4 south, range 
5 east, and section 12, township 4 south, range 4 east, that are in the 
municipal airport for the city of Palm Springs shall be subject to 
allotment as a part of the equalization program, subject to the follow-
ing qualifications: If within thirty days after the date of this Act a 
majority of the adult members of the band who are eligible to vote 
agree, the Secretary may offer to sell such land to the city for its 
saie of land. 
32716 O-60—41 
604 
PUBLIC LAW 86-339-SEPT. 21, 1959 
[73 STAT, 
Appointment 
guardians. 
of 
Tax exemption. 
Attachments 
levies. 
Legal 
etc. 
appraised value on the date of this Act, and the Secretary? shall cause 
an independent appraisal thereof to be made by an appraiser he shall 
select who shall be approved jointly by the band and the city before 
proceeding with such appraisal, the costs for the appraisal to be shared 
by the band and the city; thereafter the Secretary shall review the 
completed appraisal and shall, if approved, then submit copies to both 
the band and the city for their approval which shall be either accepted 
or rejected in writing within thirty days; and if within three hundred 
and sixty-five days after joint acceptance of such appraisal by the 
band and the city, the city accepts the offer and tenders payment in 
full, the Secretary shall complete the sale, and any allottees who 
may have made or who may thereafter make an equalization selection 
from the lands sold to the city shall receive in lieu of the allotment 
selected his proportionate share of the proceeds of the sale. 
SEC. 4. The Secretary shall request the appointment of a guardian 
of the estate of all minor allottees and for those adult allottees who 
in his judgment are in need of assistance in handling their affairs in 
accordance with applicable State laws before making any equaliza-
tion allotment or payment to such persons. 
SEC. 5. (a) The right to an equalization allotment or to a cash pay-
ment in lieu thereof pursuant to section 3, subsection (d), of this 
Act, shall be transferable by will or descent in the same manner as 
are trust payments under existing law and shall not be subject to 
State or Federal inheritance, estate, legacy, or succession taxes. 
(b) A cash payment made in lieu of an equalization allotment pur-
suant to section 3, subsection (d), of this Act shall not be regarded as 
income or capital gain for purposes of Federal or State income taxa-
tion and shall not, as long as it remains in the form of cash or a bank 
deposit in the ownership of the allottee, be subject to taxation as per-
sonal property. 
SEC. 6. (a) Equalization allotments made pursuant to this Act 
shall not be subject to assignment, sale, or hypothecation or to any 
attachment or levy for claims or debts created before or after the 
effective date of this Act, without the written approval of the Secre-
tary, and any such assignment, sale, hypothecation, attachment, or 
levy that has not been so approved by the Secretary shall be absolutely 
null and void. 
(b) No equalization allotment made pursuant to this Act, and no 
basic allotment made prior to this Act, shall be subject to an equitable 
charging lien or other charge or lien or enforced sale for any advan-
tage or benefit which the allottee has received or will receive under or 
as a consequence of enactment of this Act, nor shall any lis pendens 
heretofore or hereafter filed upon such lands while in a restricted 
status be of any effect or constitute notice of any action. 
Whoever 
directly or indirectly accepts or receives any money or other form of 
compensation for legal services in connection with such restricted 
lands from any person who has not expressly employed him as his 
attorney shall be liable, in a civil action brought by the payor or his 
heirs or devisees or by the United States on his behalf, for twice the 
amount so accepted or received unless, prior to the time of acceptance 
or receipt of said compensation, the right to such compensation has 
been determined and the amount thereof fixed by a formal order of 
the Federal court having jurisdiction to make such order. 
Nothing 
herein provided shall be construed to prevent any attorney from peti-
tioning the Federal court having jurisdiction to fix and determine 
the fees to which he is entitled and to pursue and enforce payment 
thereof in any lawful manner after the court has made such order. 
73 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 86-340-SEPT. 21, 1959 
605 
SEO. 7. Allotments in accordance Avith the provisions of this Act 
shall be deemed complete and full equalization of allotments on the 
Agua (^aliente Reservation. 
SEC. 8. The band may, at any time it wishes to do so, organize a legal 
entity under the laws of the State of California and request the Secre-
tary to transfer to such legal entity title to the lands in the reserves 
established by subsection 3 (b) of this Act. 
The Secretary shall trans-
fer an unrestricted title to such property if the organization of the 
legal entity and request for the transfer have been approved by a 
majority of the adult members of the band who are eligible to vote, 
and if in the judgment of the Secretary the legal entity is organized 
in a form and manner that is fair to all members of the band: Pro-
vided^ however^ That if the lands to which the proviso to the fourth 
item in subsection 3(b) of this Act is applicable are transferred to 
such an entity, they shall be held by it subject to the terms provided 
in said proviso, and the rights and duties therein set forth shall be 
preserved and reflected in any distribution of securities of, or other 
evidences of participation in, said entity. 
Approved September 21, 1959. 
L e p al 
organizat e nt it y, 
ion. 
Public Law 86-340 
AN ACT 
September 21, 1959 
To amend the Act of June 23, 1949, as amended, to provide that telephone and 
[H. R. 8593] 
telegraph service furnished Members of the House of Representatives shall 
be computed on a unit basis. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and Houm of Bepreaentativea of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That clause (1) of 
the first section of the Act entitled "An Act relating to telephone and 
telegraph service and clerk hire for the House of Representatives", 
approved June 23, 1949, as amended (2 U.S.C., sec. 46f), is amended 
to read as follows: 
"(1) toll charges on strictly official long-distance telephone 
calls mad3 by or on liehalf of the Member within the United 
States, i's Territories and possessions and the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico; and". 
SEC. 2. Section 2 of the Act entitled "An Act relating to telephone 
and telegraph service and clerk hire for Members of the House of 
Representatives", approved June 23, 1949, as amended (2 U.S.C., 
sec. 46g) is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 2. (a) In the case of any Member of the House of Representa-
tives other than the Speaker, the majority leader, the minority leader, 
the majority whip, and the minority whip, there shall be paid under 
the first section of this Act (1) toll charges on strictly official long-
distance telephone calls, and (2) charges on strictly official telegrams, 
cablegrams, and radiograms, made or sent by or on behalf of the 
Member, aggregating not more than eighty thousand units during a 
term, except that if a Member is elected for a portion of a term, the 
aggregate number of units with respect to which such toll charges 
and charges may be paid under the first section of this Act for such 
portion of a term shall be reduced to a number which is the same 
percentage of eighty thousand as the number of days of his service in 
such portion of a term is of the total number of days in a term. 
"(b) For the purposes of subsection (a) of this section— 
"(1) one minute of a long-distance telephone call shall be five 
units, and 
"(2) one word of a telegram, cablegram, or radiogram shall be 
one unit. 
House of Repre-
sentatives. 
Telephone and 
telegraph allow-
ance. 
65 Stat. 47. 
63 Stat. 265.