Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025
2/7/2025, 11:57 AM
Status of Legislation
Purpose and Summary
Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025
This bill removes the requirement that Alaska Native village corporations must convey lands to Alaska to be held in trust for future municipal governments.
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) requires all Alaska Native village corporations that receive land under the ANCSA to convey certain lands to the existing municipality in the village or, if no municipality exists, to Alaska in trust for any municipality that may be established in the future. This bill removes the requirement for conveyance. Additionally, the bill allows village corporations to regain title to the lands held in trust by dissolving the trust through formal resolution by the village corporation and the residents of the Native village.
The main provision of the bill is to eliminate the requirement for Village Corporations to transfer land in trust to the State of Alaska for the creation of Municipal Corporations. This change would give Village Corporations more control over their land and resources, allowing them to make decisions that best serve their communities without interference from the state government.
In addition to this key provision, the bill also includes other purposes that are not specified in the summary. These additional purposes could potentially address other issues related to land rights, resource management, or governance within Alaska Native communities. Overall, Bill 119 hr 43 seeks to empower Village Corporations in Alaska by giving them greater autonomy over their land and resources. This change could have significant implications for the relationship between Native communities and the state government, and could potentially lead to more sustainable and self-determined development within these communities.
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Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025
This bill removes the requirement that Alaska Native village corporations must convey lands to Alaska to be held in trust for future municipal governments. <...
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) requires all Alaska Native village corporations that receive land under the ANCSA to convey certain lands to the existing municipality in the village or, if no municipality exists, to Alaska in trust for any municipality that may be established in the future. This bill removes the requirement for conveyance. Additionally, the bill allows village corporations to regain title to the lands held in trust by dissolving the trust through formal resolution by the village corporation and the residents of the Native village.