A bill to permit the Miami Nation of Indiana to apply for acknowledgment as a federally recognized Indian tribe, and for other purposes.

This bill authorizes the Miami Nation of Indiana to submit a petition to the Department of Interior for acknowledgment as a federally recognized Indian tribe. When reviewing the petition, Interior may not use a previous denial as a reason to deny it.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1855 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1855

To permit the Miami Nation of Indiana to apply for acknowledgment as a 
       federally recognized Indian tribe, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 25, 2017

Mr. Donnelly (for himself and Mr. Young) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To permit the Miami Nation of Indiana to apply for acknowledgment as a 
       federally recognized Indian tribe, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Acknowledgment.--The term ``acknowledgment'' means 
        acknowledgment as a federally recognized Indian tribe.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.

SEC. 2. MIAMI NATION OF INDIANA PERMITTED TO PETITION FOR 
              ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law 
(including regulations) that denies acknowledgment to an entity that 
previously petitioned for and was denied acknowledgment, the Miami 
Nation of Indiana may submit a petition to the Secretary, under part 83 
of title 25, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of 
enactment of this Act), for acknowledgment.
    (b) Effect on Determination.--In reviewing and making a 
determination on a petition for acknowledgment that the Miami Nation of 
Indiana submitted, the Secretary shall not use, as a reason to deny the 
petition for acknowledgment that the Miami Nation of Indiana submitted, 
any previous denial of a petition for acknowledgment that the Miami 
Nation of Indiana submitted, including--
            (1) a denial by the Secretary of a petition;
            (2) a court decision affirming a denial of a petition; and
            (3) any other denial of a petition.
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