The House has joined the Senate in passing a bill to clarify jurisdiction on Pueblo lands in New Mexico.

The bill addresses a void in jurisdiction that has surfaced in recent years. It was unclear which sovereign has authority to prosecute crimes that occurred on privately-owned portions of Pueblo land grants.

To clear up the matter, the bill states that tribes and the federal government have jurisdiction over crimes involving members of federally recognized tribes. Crimes involving non-Indians will be handled by the state unless the crime is covered by federal statutes.

The House passed the bill as part of H.R. 3351, the Native American Technical Corrections Act of 2005. The Senate passed the bill as S.279.

Get the Story:
Bill aims to settle Indian jurisdiction issues (AP 11/17)
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Get the Bill:
Pueblo Jurisdiction Act (S.279) | Native American Technical Corrections Act (H.R.3351)

Related Stories:
Senate approves Pueblo criminal jurisdiction bill (07/27)
New Mexico Supreme Court takes on jurisdiction (02/15)
Bill clarifies criminal jurisdiction on Pueblo land (10/04)
U.S. attorney calls for jurisdiction fix in N.M. (04/19)