Senate Committee Hearing on Tribal Land, Water, and Legal Rights
January 1, 2017
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The Frame
This hearing marks the formal legislative review of four bills that could change how tribal lands are managed, how criminal law is enforced on specific reservations, and how water and fishing rights are allocated to tribal nations.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Federally recognized Indian Tribes
Tribes are the primary entities whose land acquisition processes, water rights, and jurisdictional authority are addressed by the four bills.
State of Iowa
The state's current criminal jurisdiction over the Sac and Fox Reservation would be removed if S. 3216 is enacted.
Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.
Next step not available in the current record.
Summary
Key Facts
- S. 2636 proposes amending the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 to mandate the Secretary of the Interior take on-reservation land into trust for federally recognized tribes upon application.
- S. 3216 seeks to repeal a 1948 federal law that granted the State of Iowa criminal jurisdiction over misdemeanors and non-major offenses on the Sac and Fox Indian Reservation.
- S. 3222, the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act, addresses infrastructure and access at specific fishing sites.
- S. 3300, the Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2016, addresses water rights claims for the Hualapai Tribe.
- Chairman Barrasso expressed concern that S. 2636 could create litigation and conflict between tribes by removing notice requirements for land-into-trust applications.
- The hearing took place on September 14, 2016, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Why It Matters
This hearing marks the formal legislative review of four bills that could change how tribal lands are managed, how criminal law is enforced on specific reservations, and how water and fishing rights are allocated to tribal nations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does S. 2636 change about land ownership?
Why is the 1948 law regarding the Sac and Fox Tribe being reviewed?
News Coverage
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Trust Acquisition
S. 2636 represents a significant attempt to shift from a discretionary administrative process for land-into-trust to a mandatory statutory requirement.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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