Trust
Federal Register: Probate Reform Act certified


The American Indian Probate Reform Act of 2004 was officially certified today with the publication of a notice in the Federal Register.

The law was passed last year in order to encourage estate planning by individual Indians, establish a uniform probate code and help tribes consolidate fractionated land ownerships.

As required by the law, the Interior Department had to inform individual Indian landowners of the law and its provisions. With publication of the notice, Secretary Gale Norton certified that her department carried out four steps to meet that goal.

Get the Notice:
American Indian Probate Reform Act of 2004 (June 28, 2005)

American Indian Probate Reform Act:
Public Law No: 108-374

Relevant Links:
Indian Land Tenure Foundation - http://www.indianlandtenure.org
Indian Land Working Group - http://www.ilwg.net
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com

Related Stories:
Trust reform costs put at $3B, thanks to Bush (06/13)
Norton lobbies Congress on trust fund accounting (03/11)
Probate Reform Act focus of Indian law conference (01/13)
DOI says probate bill doesn't solve fractionation (11/10)
Bush puts signature to probate reform legislation (10/28)
NCAI 04 Wrapup: Trust Reform (10/13)
Probate reform bill ready for Bush's signature (10/07)
BIA takes on land consolidation in Great Plains region (08/09)
House funding bill rejects administration's priorities (06/15)
Swimmer to retain control of Indian appraisals (04/06)
Ariz. tribe to receive land consolidation funds (02/06)
Probate reform bill heads to Senate for vote (01/29)
Tribes back improvements in probate reform bill (10/16)
Panel debating reform bill a third time (10/15)
Tribes focus energies on 'core' trust reform issues (05/30)
On fractionation, little progress in decades (05/09)
Indian land bill draws complaints from all sides (05/08)
Congress tackles trust land reform bill (5/6)
Bush land program called inadequate (5/6)