Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2023
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.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6489 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6489
To amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that
Village Corporations shall not be required to convey land in trust to
the State of Alaska for the establishment of Municipal Corporations,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 28, 2023
Mrs. Peltola introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that
Village Corporations shall not be required to convey land in trust to
the State of Alaska for the establishment of Municipal Corporations,
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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Alaska Native Village Municipal
Lands Restoration Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. REVERSION OF CERTAIN LAND CONVEYED IN TRUST TO THE STATE OF
ALASKA.
Section 14(c) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C.
1613(c)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as
subparagraphs (A) through (E), respectively, and indenting
appropriately;
(2) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so
redesignated), by striking ``(c) Each patent'' and inserting
the following:
``(c) Conveyance of Certain Land by Village Corporation.--
``(1) In general.--Each patent'';
(3) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), in the
undesignated matter following subparagraph (E) (as so
redesignated), in the first sentence--
(A) by striking ``section 14(c) of this Act'' and
inserting ``this subsection''; and
(B) by striking ``There is authorized'' and
inserting the following:
``(2) Technical assistance.--
``(A) In general.--There are authorized'';
(4) in paragraph (2)(A) (as so redesignated), in the second
sentence, by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the
following:
``(B) Form of funding.--The Secretary''; and
(5) in paragraph (1) (as so designated)--
(A) in each of subparagraphs (A) and (B) (as so
redesignated)--
(i) by striking ``the'' the first place it
appears and inserting ``The''; and
(ii) by striking the semicolon at the end
and inserting a period;
(B) in subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated), by
striking ``the'' the first place it appears and
inserting ``The'';
(C) by striking ``existed as of'' in subparagraph
(D) (as so redesignated) and all that follows through
``for'' in subparagraph (E) (as so redesignated) and
inserting the following: ``existed as of December 18,
1971.
``(E) For''; and
(D) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesignated)--
(i) by striking the semicolon at the end
and inserting a period;
(ii) by striking ``in trust: Provided,
however, That the word'' and all that follows
through ``sentence,'' and inserting the
following: ``in trust.
``(II) Definition of sale.--For
purposes of subclause (I), the term
`sale''';
(iii) by striking ``one thousand two
hundred and eighty acres: Provided further,
That any net'' and inserting the following:
``1,280 acres.
``(iii) Net revenues.--
``(I) In general.--Any net'';
(iv) by striking ``community needs:
Provided, That the'' and inserting the
following: ``community needs.
``(ii) Minimum acreage.--The'';
(v) by striking ``(C) the Village
Corporation'' and inserting the following:
``(C) Conveyance to municipal corporation or the
state in trust.--
``(i) In general.--The Village
Corporation''; and
(vi) by adding at the end the following:
``(iv) Cases in which conveyance shall not
be required.--
``(I) In general.--Notwithstanding
any other provision of this
subparagraph, if a Village Corporation,
prior to the date of enactment of the
Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands
Restoration Act of 2023, conveyed to
the State in trust all or a portion of
the acreage of land required to be
conveyed under this subparagraph for
the establishment of a Municipal
Corporation in the future, and a
Municipal Corporation has not been
established as of that date of
enactment, on formal resolution by the
Village Corporation and the residents
of the Native village requesting
dissolution of the trust, the trust
shall be dissolved and title to the
land shall revert to the Village
Corporation, subject to subclause
(III).
``(II) Additional land.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of
this subparagraph, as of the date of
enactment of the Alaska Native Village
Municipal Lands Restoration Act of
2023, a Village Corporation shall not
be required to convey any additional
land in trust under this subparagraph
for the establishment of a Municipal
Corporation in the future.
``(III) Requirements.--In
accordance with subsection (g)--
``(aa) the reversion of
land to a Village Corporation
pursuant to subclause (I) shall
be subject to--
``(AA) valid
existing rights created
by the applicable
trust; and
``(BB) any existing
easements, rights-of-
way necessary for
public roadway access,
or rights-of-way for
access of holders of
valid existing rights;
and
``(bb) the Village
Corporation shall assume the
obligations of the applicable
trust with respect to any lease
or other use agreement
applicable to the land on
reversion of the land to the
Village Corporation pursuant to
subclause (I).''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs.
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs Discharged
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 118-883.
Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 118-883.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 720.
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