To reaffirm the trust status of land taken into trust by the United States pursuant to the Act of June 18, 1934, for the benefit of an Indian Tribe that was federally recognized on the date that the land was taken into trust.
H.R. 5257 is a short, one-section bill that would retroactively reaffirm the trust status of certain lands taken into trust by the United States under the Indian Reorganization Act (the Act of June 18, 1934, codified at 25 U.S.C. 5108). Specifically, it applies to land taken into trust for an Indian Tribe that was federally recognized on the date the land was placed into trust, and it would affirm that such land remains trust land as of the date of enactment. In short, the bill preserves the existing trust relationship for eligible lands and prevents any reclassification of those lands away from trust status. The bill does not create new rights, funding, or authority. It is a declaratory measure designed to ensure that lands taken into trust under the 1934 Act for tribes recognized at the time of trust remain under federal trust status.
Key Points
- 1Purpose: Reaffirm the trust status of lands taken into trust under the 1934 Act for tribes that were federally recognized on the date the land was placed into trust.
- 2Scope: Applies to land taken into trust before the enactment of this bill and only for tribes meeting the recognition-date condition.
- 3Legal effect: Declares that such lands are reaffirmed as trust lands, ensuring continued federal fiduciary stewardship and the associated trust obligations.
- 4Limitations: Does not authorize new funding, alter tribal recognition criteria, or change boundaries or ownership beyond reaffirming trust status.
- 5Process/Status: Introduced in the House (H.R. 5257) and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources; would need passage by both chambers and the president to become law.