A bill to provide that per capita payments to Indians may be made by tribal governments, and for other purposes.
PL 98-64 (S.419), enacted 08/02/1983

PUBLIC LAW 98-64—AUG. 2, 1983 
97 STAT. 365 
Public Law 98-64 
98th Congress 
An Act 
To provide that per capita pajnnents to Indians may be made by tribal governments, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That funds which 
are held in trust by the Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter 
referred to as the "Secretary") for an Indian tribe and which are to 
be distributed per capita to members of that tribe may be so 
distributed by either the Secretary or, at the request of the govern-
ing body of the tribe and subject to the approval of the Secretary, 
the tribe. Any funds so distributed shall be paid by the Secretary or 
the tribe directly to the members involved or, if such members are 
minors or have been legally determined not competent to handle 
their own affairs, to a parent or guardian of such members or to a 
trust fund for such minors or legal incompetents as determined by 
the governing body of the tribe. 
SEC. 2. (a) Funds distributed under this Act shall not be liable for 
the payment of previously contracted obligations except as may be 
provided by the governing body of the tribe and distributions of such 
funds shall be subject to the provisions of section 7 of the Act of 
October 19,1973 (87 Stat. 466), as amended. 
(b) Nothing in this Act shall affect the requirements of the Act of 
October 19, 1973 (87 Stat. 466), as amended, or of any plan approved 
thereunder, with respect to the use or distribution of funds subject 
to that Act: Provided, That per capita payments made pursuant to a 
plan approved under that Act may be made by an Indian tribe as 
provided in section 1 of this Act if all other provisions of the 1973 
Act are met, including but not limited to, the protection of the 
interests of minors and incompetents in such funds. 
(c) Nothing in this Act, except the provisions of subsection (a) of 
this section, shall apply to the Shoshone Tribe and the Arapahoe 
Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming. 
SEC. 3. (a) The Secretary shall, by regulation, establish reasonable 
standards for the approval of tribal pajnnents pursuant to section 1 
of this Act and, where approval is given under such regulations, the 
United States shall not be liable with respect to any distribution of 
funds by a tribe under this Act. 
Aug. 2, 1983 
[S. 419] 
Indians, per 
capita 
payments. 
25 u s e 117a. 
Funding 
liabihty. 
25 u s e 117b. 
25 u s e 1407. 
Shoshone and 
Arapahoe Tribes 
of the Wind 
River Reser-
vation, Wyo. 
Regulations. 
25 u s e 117c. 
97 STAT. 366 
PUBLIC LAW 98-64—AUG. 2, 1983 
Liability. 
(fc) Nothing in this Act shall otherwise absolve the United States 
from any other responsibility to the Indians, including those which 
derive from the trust relationship and from any treaties, Executive 
orders, or agreements between the United States and any Indian 
tribe. 
Repeal 
SEC. 4. (a) The following provision of section 1 of the Act of June 
25 use 117. 
;^o, 1896 (29 Stat. 3360), is repealed: "That any sums of money 
hereafter to be paid per capita to individual Indians shall be paid to 
said Indians by an officer of the Government designated by the 
Secretary of the Interior,". 
Repeal. 
(b) Section 19 of the Act of June 28,1898 (30 Stat. 502), is repealed. 
Approved August 2, 1983. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 419: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 98-230 (Comm. on Interior and Insular Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 129 (1983): 
Feb. 24, considered and passed Senate. 
June 20, considered and passed House, amended. 
July 20, Senate concurred in House amendment.