To provide grants to local governments to assist such local governments in participating in certain decisions related to certain Indian groups and Indian tribes.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants to: (1) assist local governments in participating (including through administrative and judicial appeals) in decisions related to specified actions if they are likely to significantly affect the people represented by such governments; and (2) reimburse such governments for participation costs incurred.

Specifies among such actions ones in which: (1) an Indian group is seeking Federal recognition and is likely to assert trust status over land within the government's jurisdiction; (2) an acknowledged Indian tribe is requesting such trust status; and (3) an Indian group or tribe is claiming interest in land based on a law specifically applicable to land or natural resource transfers from, by, or on behalf of Indians.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3838 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3838

To provide grants to local governments to assist such local governments 
in participating in certain decisions related to certain Indian groups 
                           and Indian tribes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 2004

 Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut (for herself, Mr. Shays, Mr. Simmons, and 
   Mr. Johnson of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide grants to local governments to assist such local governments 
in participating in certain decisions related to certain Indian groups 
                           and Indian tribes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--To the extent funds are made available by 
appropriations and acceptable requests are submitted, the Secretary of 
the Interior shall provide grants to local governments to assist those 
local governments in participating (including, but not limited to, 
through administrative and judicial appeals) in the decisionmaking 
process related to actions described in subsection (b), if the 
Secretary determines that such actions are likely to significantly 
affect the people represented by the local governments and to reimburse 
local governments for the costs of such participation that were 
incurred after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Actions for Which Grants May Be Available.--The Secretary may 
make grants under this section for participation assistance related to 
the following actions:
            (1) Acknowledgement.--An Indian group is seeking Federal 
        acknowledgement or recognition (or reacknowledgement or 
        rerecognition) and the Secretary determines that the Indian 
        group seeking such acknowledgement or recognition (or 
        reacknowledgement or rerecognition) has asserted or is likely 
        to assert trust status with respect to land within boundaries 
        of the area over which the local government has jurisdiction.
            (2) Trust land.--An acknowledged Indian tribe is requesting 
        that land within the boundaries of the area over which the 
        local government has jurisdiction be put into trust status for 
        that tribe.
            (3) Land claims.--An Indian group or an acknowledged Indian 
        tribe is claiming interest in land based upon a treaty or a law 
        specifically applicable to transfers of land or natural 
        resources from, by, or on behalf of any Indian, Indian nation, 
        or group, tribe, or band of Indians (including the Acts 
        commonly known as the Trade and Intercourse Acts (1 Stat. 137; 
        2 Stat. 139; and 4 Stat. 729)).
            (4) Other actions.--Any other action or proposed action 
        relating to an Indian group or acknowledged Indian tribe if the 
        Secretary determines that the action or proposed action is 
        likely to significantly affect the people represented by that 
        local government.
    (c) Amount of Grants.--Grants awarded under this section to a local 
government for any one action may not exceed $500,000 in any fiscal 
year.
    (d) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section--
            (1) the term ``acknowledged Indian tribe'' means any Indian 
        tribe, band, nation, pueblo, or other organized group or 
        community which is recognized as eligible for the special 
        programs and services provided by the United States to Indians 
        because of their status as Indians; and
            (2) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Interior.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $8,000,000 for each fiscal year 
that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>