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To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.

6/28/2024, 8:20 AM

Summary of Bill HR 1208

Bill 118 hr 1208, also known as the "Indian Reaffirmation Act," seeks to amend the Act of June 18, 1934, in order to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes. This bill aims to address the issue of tribal land ownership and sovereignty by ensuring that the Secretary of the Interior has the power to acquire land on behalf of Indian Tribes.

The bill also includes provisions for other purposes, although specific details are not provided in the summary. Overall, the goal of this legislation is to support and protect the rights of Indian Tribes in relation to land ownership and trust status.

It is important to note that this bill is non-partisan and focuses on addressing the needs and concerns of Indian Tribes in a fair and equitable manner. The Indian Reaffirmation Act is a significant piece of legislation that aims to strengthen the relationship between the federal government and Indian Tribes, while also upholding the sovereignty and rights of these communities.

Congressional Summary of HR 1208

This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to take land into trust for all federally recognized Indian tribes.

Specifically, the bill applies the Indian Reorganization Act to all federally recognized Indian tribes, regardless of when a tribe became recognized. The amendments made by this bill are retroactively effective as if included in the Indian Reorganization Act. This effectively overrules the Supreme Court's decision in Carcieri v. Salazar, which held that Interior could not take land into trust for a specified tribe because that tribe had not been under federal jurisdiction when the Indian Reorganization Act was enacted in 1934.

Current Status of Bill HR 1208

Bill HR 1208 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since February 27, 2023. Bill HR 1208 was introduced during Congress 118 and was introduced to the House on February 27, 2023.  Bill HR 1208's most recent activity was Subcommittee Hearings Held as of June 26, 2024

Bipartisan Support of Bill HR 1208

Total Number of Sponsors
1
Democrat Sponsors
0
Republican Sponsors
1
Unaffiliated Sponsors
0
Total Number of Cosponsors
32
Democrat Cosponsors
26
Republican Cosponsors
6
Unaffiliated Cosponsors
0

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill HR 1208

Primary Policy Focus

Native Americans

Potential Impact Areas

- Federal-Indian relations
- Indian lands and resources rights

Alternate Title(s) of Bill HR 1208

To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.
To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.

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