HR 2389119th CongressIntroduced

Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act

Introduced: Mar 26, 2025

Housing & Urban DevelopmentInfrastructure

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act would transfer about 72 acres of land in Washington from the Forest Service to the Department of the Interior and place it into trust for the Quinault Indian Nation. The land, identified as Allotment 1157 and shown on a 2024 map, would become part of the Quinault Indian Reservation and be administered by the Interior Department in the same way other trust lands are treated for Indian tribes. The bill prohibits any gaming on this land under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and confirms that the transfer does not alter treaty rights. It also requires the Interior Secretary to disclose any hazardous substances under CERCLA, but does not require remediation beyond that disclosure.

Key Points

1Approximately 72 acres in Washington, identified as Allotment 1157, would be taken into trust for the Quinault Indian Nation and transferred from the Forest Service to the Interior Department.
2The land would be added to the Quinault Indian Reservation and managed under the standard federal trust-tribal framework.
3Gaming is explicitly prohibited on the land under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
4The bill states there is no impact on existing treaty rights, specifically referencing the 1855-1856 Treaty of Olympia with the Qui-nai-elt and Quil-leh-ute Indians.
5For environmental liability, the Interior Secretary must meet CERCLA §120(h) disclosure requirements for hazardous substances, but is not required to remediate or otherwise address contamination beyond disclosure.

Impact Areas

Primary: Quinault Indian Nation (beneficiary of the land trust; potential for enhanced land base and tribal governance over the parcel).Secondary: Forest Service and broader federal land management framework; local government and neighboring communities in Washington (due to land status change and any accompanying land-use implications).Additional impacts: Environmental compliance considerations (hazardous materials disclosure) and limitations on gaming on the transferred land; reaffirmation that treaty rights remain unchanged.

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