Senate Committee on Indian Affairs adds business meeting to schedule

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Leaders and staff from the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs at a legislative hearing on July 10, 2024. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Monday, July 22, 2024

Indianz.Com

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has added a business meeting to its schedule in what’s turning out to be a busy week for tribes in the nation’s capital.

Three items are on the agenda for the meeting on Thursday afternoon. They follow:

S.2783, the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act. The bill adds an area known as Osceola Camp to the reservation of the Miccosukee Tribe. The land is located within the Everglades National Park in Florida. A hearing took place on July 10, featuring testimony from Chairman Talbert Cypress.

S.3406, the Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act. The bill authorizes appropriations for water projects that would benefit the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the Navajo Nation and five Pueblo tribes. A total of $18.4 million would be appropriated by the measure. A hearing took place on July 10, featuring testimony from the Biden administration in support of the legislation.

S.4000, A bill to reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Lytton Rancheria of California, and for other purposes. The bill confirms that the Lytton Rancheria, headquartered in California, can follow the land-into-trust process under the Indian Reorganization Act. It also confirms that any land-into-trust acquisitions made for the tribe, whose federal recognition was reaffirmed in 1991 as part of litigation, are part of the tribe’s reservation. A hearing took place on June 12, featuring testimony from Chairperson Andy Mejia.

Immediately following the meeting, the committee will hold a legislative hearing to take testimony on two bills. They follow:

S.4370, the Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2024. The bill ensures that Alaska Native corporations can participate in stewardship of federal forest lands. It also addresses a requirement that has limited tribal participation on lands important to their communities.

S.4505, the Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act. The bill settles the water rights of Ohkay Owingeh in the Rio Chama Basin of New Mexico.

The business meeting and legislative hearing take place at 2pm on Thursday in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notice

Business Meeting to consider S. 2783, S. 3406, S. 4000, S. 4365 and Legislative Hearing to receive testimony on S. 4370 & S. 4505 (July 25, 2024)