[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3640 Placed on Calendar Senate (PCS)]
Calendar No. 622
104th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3640
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To provide for the settlement of issues and claims related to the trust
lands of the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 19, 1996
Read twice and placed on the calendar
Calendar No. 622
104th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3640
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 11, 1996
Received
September 19, 1996
Read twice and placed on the calendar
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To provide for the settlement of issues and claims related to the trust
lands of the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, 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 ``Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla
Indians Claims Settlement Act''.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds and declares that:
(1) In 1876, the Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation was
created, reserving a single, 640-acre section of land in the
Coachella Valley, California, north of the Salton Sink. The
Reservation was expanded in 1891 by Executive Order, pursuant
to the Mission Indian Relief Act of 1891, adding about 12,000
acres to the original 640-acre reservation.
(2) Between 1905 and 1907, flood waters of the Colorado
River filled the Salton Sink, creating the Salton Sea,
inundating approximately 2,000 acres of the 1891 reservation
lands.
(3) In 1909 an additional 12,000 acres of land, 9,000 of
which were then submerged under the Salton Sea, were added to
the reservation under a Secretarial Order issued pursuant to a
1907 amendment of the Mission Indian Relief Act. Due to
receding water levels in the Salton Sea through the process of
evaporation, at the time of the 1909 enlargement of the
reservation, there were some expectations that the Salton Sea
would recede within a period of 25 years.
(4) Through the present day, the majority of the lands
added to the reservation in 1909 remain inundated due in part
to the flowage of natural runoff and drainage water from the
irrigation systems of the Imperial, Coachella, and Mexicali
Valleys into the Salton Sea.
(5) In addition to those lands that are inundated, there
are also tribal and individual Indian lands located on the
perimeter of the Salton Sea that are not currently irrigable
due to lack of proper drainage.
(6) In 1982, the United States brought an action in
trespass entitled ``United States of America, in its own right
and on behalf of Torres-Martinez Band of Mission Indians and
the Allottees therein v. The Imperial Irrigation District and
Coachella Valley Water District'', Case No. 82-1790 K (M)
(hereafter in this section referred to as the ``U.S. Suit'') on
behalf of the Torres-Martinez Indian Tribe and affected Indian
allottees against the two water districts seeking damages
related to the inundation of tribal- and allottee-owned lands
and injunctive relief to prevent future discharge of water on
such lands.
(7) On August 20, 1992, the Federal District Court for the
Southern District of California entered a judgment in the U.S.
Suit requiring the Coachella Valley Water District to pay
$212,908.41 in past and future damages and the Imperial
Irrigation District to pay $2,795,694.33 in past and future
damages in lieu of the United States' request for a permanent
injunction against continued flooding of the submerged lands.
(8) The United States, the Coachella Valley Water District,
and the Imperial Irrigation District have filed notices of
appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit from the district court's judgment in the U.S. Suit
(Numbers 93-55389, 93-55398, and 93-55402), and the Tribe has
filed a notice of appeal from the district court's denial of
its motion to intervene as a matter of right (No. 92-55129).
(9) The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has stayed
further action on the appeals pending the outcome of settlement
negotiations.
(10) In 1991, the Tribe brought its own lawsuit, Torres-
Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, et al., v. Imperial
Irrigation District, et al., Case No. 91-1670 J (LSP)
(hereafter in this section referred to as the ``Indian Suit'')
in the United States District Court, Southern District of
California, against the two water districts, and amended the
complaint to include as a plaintiff, Mary Resvaloso, in her own right,
and as class representative of all other affected Indian allotment
owners.
(11) The Indian Suit has been stayed by the District Court
to facilitate settlement negotiations.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to facilitate and
implement the settlement agreement negotiated and executed by the
parties to the U.S. Suit and Indian Suit for the purpose of resolving
their conflicting claims to their mutual satisfaction and in the public
interest.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ``Tribe'' means the Torres-Martinez Desert
Cahuilla Indians, a federally recognized Indian tribe with a
reservation located in Riverside and Imperial Counties,
California.
(2) The term ``allottees'' means those individual Tribe
members, their successors, heirs, and assigns, who have
individual ownership of allotted Indian trust lands within the
Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation.
(3) The term ``Salton Sea'' means the inland body of water
located in Riverside and Imperial counties which serves as a
drainage reservoir for water from precipitation, natural
runoff, irrigation return flows, wastewater, floods, and other
inflow from within its watershed area.
(4) The term ``Settlement Agreement'' means the Agreement
of Compromise and Settlement Concerning Claims to Lands of the
United States Within and on the Perimeter of the Salton Sea
Drainage Reservoir Held in Trust for the Torres-Martinez
Indians executed on June 18, 1996.
(5) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the
Interior.
(6) The term ``permanent flowage easement'' means the
perpetual right by the water districts to use the described
lands in the Salton Sink within and below the minus 220-foot
contour as a drainage reservoir to receive and store water from
their respective water and drainage systems, including flood
water, return flows from irrigation, tail water, leach water,
operational spills and any other water which overflows and
floods such lands, originating from lands within such water
districts.
SEC. 4. RATIFICATION OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.
The United States hereby approves, ratifies, and confirms the
Settlement Agreement.
SEC. 5. SETTLEMENT FUNDS.
(a) Establishment of Tribal and Allottees Settlement Trust Funds
Accounts.--
(1) In general.--There are established in the Treasury of
the United States three settlement trust fund accounts to be
known as the ``Torres-Martinez Settlement Trust Funds
Account'', the ``Torres-Martinez Allottees Settlement Account
I'', and the ``Torres-Martinez Allottees Settlement Account
II'', respectively.
(2) Availability.--Amounts held in the Torres-Martinez
Settlement Trust Funds Account, the Torres-Martinez Allottees
Settlement Account I, and the Torres-Martinez Allottees
Settlement Account II shall be available to the Secretary for
distribution to the Tribe and affected allottees in accordance
with subsection (c).
(b) Contributions to the Settlement Trust Funds.--
(1) In general.--Amounts paid to the Secretary for deposit
into the trust fund accounts established by subsection (a)
shall be allocated among and deposited in the trust accounts in
the amounts determined by the tribal-allottee allocation
provisions of the Settlement Agreement.
(2) Cash payments by coachella valley water district.--
Within the time, in the manner, and upon the conditions
specified in the Settlement Agreement, the Coachella Valley
Water District shall pay the sum of $337,908.41 to the United
States for the benefit of the Tribe and any affected allottees.
(3) Cash payments by imperial irrigation district.--Within
the time, in the manner, and upon the conditions specified in
the Settlement Agreement, the Imperial Irrigation District
shall pay the sum of $3,670,694.33 to the United States for the
benefit of the Tribe and any affected allottees.
(4) Cash payments by the united states.--Within the time
and upon the conditions specified in the Settlement Agreement,
the United States shall pay into the three separate tribal and
allottee trust fund accounts the total sum of $10,200,000, of
which sum--
(A) $4,200,000 shall be provided from moneys
appropriated by Congress under section 1304 of title
31, United States Code, the conditions of which are
deemed to have been met, including those of section
2414 of title 28, United States Code; and
(B) $6,000,000 shall be provided from moneys
appropriated by Congress for this specific purpose to
the Secretary.
(5) Additional payments.--In the event that any of the sums
described in paragraphs (2) or (3) are not timely paid by the
Coachella Valley Water District or the Imperial Irrigation
District, as the case may be, the delinquent payor shall pay an
additional sum equal to 10 percent interest annually on the
amount outstanding daily, compounded yearly on December 31 of
each respective year, until all outstanding amounts due have
been paid in full.
(6) Severally liable for payments.--The Coachella Valley
Water District, the Imperial Irrigation District, and the
United States shall each be severally liable, but not jointly
liable, for its respective obligation to make the payments
specified by this subsection.
(c) Administration of Settlement Trust Funds.--The Secretary shall
administer and distribute funds held in the Torres-Martinez Settlement
Trust Funds Account, the Torres-Martinez Allottees Settlement Account
I, and the Torres-Martinez Allottees Settlement Account II in
accordance with the terms and conditions of the Settlement Agreement.
SEC. 6. TRUST LAND ACQUISITION AND STATUS.
(a) Acquisition and Placement of Lands Into Trust.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall convey into trust
status lands purchased or otherwise acquired by the Tribe
within the areas described in paragraphs (2) and (3) in an
amount not to exceed 11,800 acres in accordance with the terms,
conditions, criteria, and procedures set forth in the
Settlement Agreement and this Act. Subject to such terms,
conditions, criteria, and procedures, all lands purchased or
otherwise acquired by the Tribe and conveyed into trust status
for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to the Settlement
Agreement and this Act shall be considered as if such lands
were so acquired in trust status in 1909 except as (i) to water
rights as provided in subsection (c), and (ii) to valid rights
existing at the time of acquisition pursuant to this Act.
(2) Primary acquisition area.--(A) The primary area within
which lands may be acquired pursuant to paragraph (1) are those
certain lands located in the Primary Acquisition Area, as
defined in the Settlement Agreement. The amount of acreage that
may be acquired from such area is 11,800 acres less the number
of acres acquired and conveyed into trust by reason of
paragraph (3).
(B) Lands may not be acquired under this paragraph if by
majority vote of the governing body of the city within whose
incorporated boundaries (as such boundaries exist on the date
of the Settlement Agreement) objects to the Tribe's request to
convey such lands into trust and notifies the Secretary of such
objection in writing within 60 days of receiving a copy of the
Tribe's request in accordance with the Settlement Agreement.
(3) Secondary acquisition area.--
(A) Not more than 640 acres of land may be acquired
pursuant to paragraph (1) from those certain lands
located in the Secondary Acquisition Area, as defined
in the Settlement Agreement.
(B) Lands referred to in subparagraph (A) may not
be acquired pursuant to paragraph (1) if by majority
vote--
(i) the governing body of the city whose
incorporated boundaries the subject lands are
situated within, or
(ii) the governing body of Riverside
County, California, in the event that such
lands are located within an unincorporated
area,
formally objects to the Tribe's request to convey the
subject lands into trust and notifies the Secretary of
such objection in writing within 60 days of receiving a
copy of the Tribe's request in accordance with the
Settlement Agreement.
(b) Restrictions on Gaming.--The Tribe shall have the right to
conduct gaming on only one site within the lands acquired pursuant to
subsection (a)(1) as more particularly provided in the Settlement
Agreement.
(c) Water Rights.--All lands acquired by the Tribe under subsection
(a) shall--
(1) be subject to all valid water rights existing at the
time of tribal acquisition, including (but not limited to) all
rights under any permit or license issued under the laws of the
State of California to commence an appropriation of water, to
appropriate water, or to increase the amount of water
appropriated;
(2) be subject to the paramount rights of any person who at
any time recharges or stores water in a ground water basin to
recapture or recover the recharged or stored water or to
authorize others to recapture or recover the recharged or
stored water; and
(3) continue to enjoy all valid water rights appurtenant to
the land existing immediately prior to the time of tribal
acquisition.
SEC. 7. PERMANENT FLOWAGE EASEMENTS.
(a) Conveyance of Easement to Coachella Valley Water District.--
(1) Tribal interest.--The United States, in its capacity as
trustee for the Tribe, as well as for any affected Indian
allotment owners, and their successors and assigns, and the
Tribe in its own right and that of its successors and assigns,
shall convey to the Coachella Valley Water District a permanent
flowage easement as to all Indian trust lands (approximately
11,800 acres) located within and below the minus 220-foot
contour of the Salton Sink, in accordance with the terms and
conditions of the Settlement Agreement.
(2) United states interest.--The United States, in its own
right shall, notwithstanding any prior or present reservation
or withdrawal of land of any kind, convey to Coachella Valley
Water District a permanent flowage easement as to all Federal
lands (approximately 110,000 acres) located within and below
the minus 220-foot contour of the Salton Sink, in accordance
with the terms and conditions of the Settlement Agreement.
(b) Conveyance of Easement to Imperial Irrigation District.--
(1) Tribal interest.--The United States, in its capacity as
trustee for the Tribe, as well as for any affected Indian
allotment owners, and their successors and assigns, and the
Tribe in its own right and that of its successors and assigns,
shall grant and convey to the Imperial Irrigation District a
permanent flowage easement as to all Indian trust lands
(approximately 11,800 acres) located within and below the minus
220-foot contour of the Salton Sink, in accordance with the
terms and conditions of the Settlement Agreement.
(2) United states.--The United States, in its own right
shall, notwithstanding any prior or present reservation or
withdrawal of land of any kind, grant and convey to the
Imperial Irrigation District a permanent flowage easement as to
all Federal lands (approximately 110,000 acres) located within
and below the minus 220-foot contour of the Salton Sink, in
accordance with the terms and conditions of the Settlement
Agreement.
SEC. 8. SATISFACTION OF CLAIMS, WAIVERS, AND RELEASES.
(a) Satisfaction of Claims.--The benefits available to the Tribe
and the allottees under the terms and conditions of the Settlement
Agreement and the provisions of this Act shall constitute full and
complete satisfaction of the claims by the Tribe and the allottees
arising from or related to the inundation and lack of drainage of
tribal and allottee lands described in section 2 of this Act and
further defined in the Settlement Agreement.
(b) Approval of Waivers and Releases.--The United States hereby
approves and confirms the releases and waivers required by the
Settlement Agreement and this Act.
SEC. 9. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
(a) Eligibility for Benefits.--Nothing in this Act or the
Settlement Agreement shall affect the eligibility of the Tribe or its
members for any Federal program or diminish the trust responsibility of
the United States to the Tribe and its members.
(b) Eligibility for Other Services Not Affected.--No payment
pursuant to this Act shall result in the reduction or denial of any
Federal services or programs to the Tribe or to members of the Tribe,
to which they are entitled or eligible because of their status as a
federally recognized Indian tribe or member of the Tribe.
(c) Preservation of Existing Rights.--Except as provided in this
Act or the Settlement Agreement, any right to which the Tribe is
entitled under existing law shall not be affected or diminished.
(d) Amendment of Settlement Agreement.--The Settlement Agreement
may be amended from time to time in accordance with its terms and
conditions.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary
to carry out this Act.
SEC. 11. EFFECTIVE DATE.
(a) In General.--Except as provided by subsection (b), this Act
shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Exception.--Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 shall take effect on the
date on which the Secretary of the Interior determines the following
conditions have been met:
(1) The Tribe agrees to the Settlement Agreement and the
provisions of this Act and executes the releases and waivers
required by the Settlement Agreement and this Act.
(2) The Coachella Valley Water District agrees to the
Settlement Agreement and to the provisions of this Act.
(3) The Imperial Irrigation District agrees to the
Settlement Agreement and to the provisions of this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives September 10, 1996.
Attest:
ROBIN H. CARLE,
Clerk.