An Act to provide for division and for the disposition of the funds appropriated to pay a judgment in favor of the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana, and the Gros Ventre Tribe of the Fort Belknap Reservation, Montana, in Indian
PL 92-254 (S.671), enacted 03/18/1972

64 
PUBLIC LAW 92-253-MAR. 17, 1972 
[86 STAT. 
March 17, 1972 
[S. 602] 
Public Law 92-253 
AN ACT 
To provide for the disposition of judgments, when appropriated, recovered by the 
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, Mon-
tana, in paragraphs 7 and 10, docket numbered 50233, United States Court of 
Claims, and for other purposes. 
-
Indians. 
Confederated 
Salish and 
Kootenai Tribes, 
Mont. 
Judgment funds. 
Tax exemption. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of RepreHentatAves of the 
United States of America in Congress assemhled^ Thiit the funds 
appropriated to the credit of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai 
Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, Montana, in satisfaction of judg-
ments awarded in paragraphs 7 and 10 in docket numbered 50233, 
United States Court of Claims, including interest thereon, after pay-
ment of attorneys fees and other litigation expenses, shall be used as" 
follows: 85 per centum thereof shall be distributed in equal per capita 
shares to each person who is enrolled or entitled to be enrolled on the 
date of this Act; the remainder may be advanced, expended, invested 
or reinvested for any purposes that are authorized by the tribal gov-
erning body and approved by the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 2. Any part of such funds that may be distributed to members 
of the Tribes shall not be subject to Federal or State income tax. 
SEC. 3. Sums payable under this Act to enrollees or their heirs or 
legatees who are less than eighteen years of age or who are under a 
legal disability shall be paid in accordance with such procedures, 
including the establishment of trusts, as the Secretary of the Interior 
determines appropriate to protect the best interests of such persons. 
Approved March 17, 1972. 
; 
. . . . 
March 18, 1972 
[S. 671] 
Public Law 92-254 
AN ACT 
To provide for division and for the disposition of the funds appropriated to pa.v 
a judgment in favor of the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reserva^ 
tion, Montana, and the Gros Ventre Tribe of the Fort Belknap Reservation, 
Montana, in Indian Claims Commission docket numbered 279-A, and for 
otlier purposes. 
Indians. 
Blackfeet and 
Gros Ventre 
Tribes. 
Judgment funds, 
division and 
disposition. 
Per capita 
distribution. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatwes 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the funds 
appropriated by the Act of October 21, 1968 (82 Stat. 1190, 1198), 
to pay a judgment to the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian 
Reservation, Montana, and the Gros Ventre Tribe of the Fort Belknap 
Reservation, Montana, in Indian Claims Commission docket numbered 
279-A, together with interest thereon, after payment of attorney fees, 
litigation expenses, and the cost of carrying out the provisions of this 
Act, shall be divided by the Secretary of the Interior on the basis of 
73.2 per centum to the Blackfeet Tribe and 26.8 per centum to the 
Gros Ventre Tribe. 
SEC. 2. The sum of $5,671,156 from the funds credited to the Black-
feet Tribe under section 1 of this Act shall be distributed per capita 
to each person whose name appears on or is entitled to appear on the 
membership roll of the Blackfeet Tribe, and who was born on or prior 
to and is living on the date of this Act. The sum of $2,100,000 from 
the funds credited to the Gros Ventre Tribe under section 1 of this 
Act shall be distributed per capita to all members of the Fort Belknap 
Community who were bom on or prior to and are living on the date of 
86 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 92-255-MAR. 21, 1972 
65 
this Act and (a) whose names appear on the February 5, 1937, pay-
ment roll of the Gros Ventre Tribe of the Fort Belknap Reservation, 
or (b) who are descended from a person whose name appears on said 
roll, if such member possesses a greater degree of Gros Ventre blood 
than Assiniboine blood. If such member possesses equal quantums of 
Gros Ventre and Assiniboine blood he may elect to participate in the 
per capita distribution authorized by this section, in which event he 
shall not be eligible to participate in any per capita distribution of an 
Assiniboine judgment. A share or interest payable to enrollees or their 
heirs or legatees who are less than eighteen years of age or under legal 
disability shall be paid in accordance with such procedures, including 
the establishment of trusts, as the Secretary determines appropriate 
to protect the best interest of such persons. 
SEC. 3. The balance of each tribe's share of the funds may be 
advanced, expended, invested, or reinvested for any purposes that are 
authorized by the respective tribal governing bodies and approved by 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC, 4. None of the funds distributed per capita under the pro-
visions of this Act shall be subject to Federal or State income taxes, 
and the per capita payments shall not be considered as income or 
resources when determining the extent of eligibility for assistance 
under the Social Security Act. The provision of this section regarding 
eligibility for assistance under the Social Security Act is enacted in 
recognition of unique circumstances applicable to the tribes involved, 
and shall not be regarded as a precedent or as a general policy for 
application to other tribes. 
SEC. 5. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to prescribe 
rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
Approved March 18, 1972. 
Restriction. 
Minors, pay-
ment procedures. 
Tax exemption. 
49 Stat. 620. 
42 u s e 1305. 
Rules and 
regulations. 
Public Law 92-255 
AN ACT 
To establish a Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention and to concentrate 
the resources of the Nation against the problem of drug abuse. 
March 21, 1972 
[S.2097] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ 
§ 1. Short title. 
This Act may be cited as the "Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act 
of 1972". 
Drug Abuse 
Office and 
Treatment Act 
of 1972.