The Bureau of Indian Affairs wants to finalize its Section 20 land-into-trust regulations soon, a top official said.

"It's our No. 1 priority to get this out," George Skibine, the director of the Office of Indian Gaming Management, told Gannett News Service.

The rules would governor how the BIA weighs land-into-trust applications under Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The exceptions apply to newly recognized tribes, restored tribes, tribes with land claim settlements and tribes in Oklahoma with former reservations.

The rules also cover the two-part determination process of Section 20. The process requires the state governor to approve any off-reservation casino developments.

The BIA has received hundreds of comments from tribes, states, religious groups and anti-gaming organizations. Some tribes worry they rules might be too strict but others -- mainly those with established casinos -- hope the proposal will clamp down on "reservation shopping."

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Tribes differ over proposal about off-reservation casinos (Gannett News Service 2/20)