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.

This bill would formally reaffirm that certain land taken into trust by the United States under the Indian Reorganization Act (the Act of June 18, 1934; 25 U.S.C. 5108) remains trust land. Specifically, it applies to land that was placed in trust before the bill’s enactment for the benefit of an Indian Tribe that was federally recognized on the date the land was placed into trust. In short, the bill provides a retroactive, legal confirmation that such land continues to be held in trust by the United States for the benefit of that tribe, preserving the trust status. The measure is a narrow, declaratory fix with no new land acquisitions, no changes in recognition, and no funding or programmatic provisions. It is designed to prevent challenges or questions about the status of these trust lands by reaffirming their trust status under existing law.