[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2924 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2924

   To amend the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act to provide for 
 selection of lands by certain veterans of the Vietnam era and by the 
                        Elim Native Corporation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 1997

 Mr. Young of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                     to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act to provide for 
 selection of lands by certain veterans of the Vietnam era and by the 
                        Elim Native Corporation.

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

SECTION 1. VIETNAM VETERANS ALLOTMENT.

    The Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1600, et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:

    ``open season for certain native alaskan veterans for allotments

    ``Sec. 41. (a) In General.--(1) During the one-year period 
beginning on the date of enactment of this section, an individual 
described in subsection (b) is eligible for an allotment of not more 
than 160 acres of land under the Act of May 17, 1906 (chapter 2469; 34 
Stat. 197), as such Act was in effect before December 18, 1971.
    ``(2) Allotments selected under this section shall not be from 
existing native or non-native campsites.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall prescribe such rules as may be necessary 
to carry out this section.
    ``(b) Eligible Individuals.--(1) An individual is eligible under 
subsection (a) if the individual would have been eligible under the Act 
of May 17, 1906 (chapter 2469; 34 Stat. 197), as such Act was in effect 
before December 18, 1971, and the individual is a veteran of the 
Vietnam era.
    ``(2) For purposes of this section, in the case of an individual 
described in paragraph (1) who is deceased, the heirs of the individual 
shall be treated as the individual described in paragraph (1).
    ``(c) Conveyance Deadline.--The Secretary of the Interior shall 
complete land conveyances pursuant to this section not later than one 
year after the end of the period referred to in subsection (a).
    ``(d) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section, the terms 
`veteran' and `Vietnam era' have the meaning given such terms by 
paragraphs (2) and (29), respectively, of section 101 of title 38, 
United States Code.''.

SEC. 2. ELIM NATIVE CORPORATION LAND RESTORATION.

    The Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1600, et seq.), 
as amended by section 1 of this Act, is further amended by adding at 
the end the following:

               ``elim native corporation land restoration

    ``Sec. 42. (a) Withdrawal and Availability for Selection.--The 
lands described in subsection (b) are withdrawn from disposition under 
the public land laws, entry or appropriation under the mining laws of 
the United States, and the operation of the mineral leasing laws of the 
United States, subject to valid existing rights, for a period of one 
year from the date of enactment of this section, for selection by the 
Elim Native Corporation under this section.
    ``(b) Lands Described.--The lands described in this section are 
within the boundary of the parcel of land in the vicinity of Elim, 
Alaska, at approximately latitude 64 50 N. longitude 162 00 W, more 
particularly described as follows:
            ``Beginning at the point of intersection of line 3-4, U.S. 
        Survey No. 2548 with the protracted West Boundary of T8S, R18W 
        KRM, Alaska;
            ``Thence North, along the west boundary of the 
        aforementioned township, approximately 4\1/2\ miles to the 
        protracted position for the corner of sections 1, 6, 7, and 12;
            ``Thence Northeasterly, parallel with line 4-3 of U.S. 
        Survey No. 2548, approximately 20\1/2\ miles, to a point;
            ``Thence East approximately 6 miles to corner No. 3 U.S. 
        Survey No. 2548;
            ``Thence Southwesterly along lines 3-4, U.S. Survey 2548 
        approximately 27\1/2\ miles to the point of beginning.
    ``(c) Authorization To Select Lands; Reservation of Easement.--The 
Elim Native Corporation is authorized to select 50,000 acres of lands 
within the boundary of the lands described in subsection (b) to satisfy 
its land entitlements under section 19(b). The Secretary is authorized 
to receive, adjudicate, and convey the lands to the Elim Native 
Corporation subject to--
            ``(1) valid existing rights; and
            ``(2) an easement reserved to the United States for the 
        benefit of the public. An easement in the lands shall be 
        reserved to the Iditarod National Historic Trail.
    ``(d) Withdrawal and Selection of Additional Lands.--The Secretary 
is authorized to withdraw, and Elim Native Corporation is authorized to 
select, not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of 
this section additional lands adjacent to the lands withdrawn by 
subsection (a) to fulfill Elim Native Corporation's land entitlements 
equal to the total acreage of the Norton Bay Reservation as withdrawn 
by Executive Order No. 2508, dated January 3, 1917.
    ``(e) Finality of Selections.--Selection by the Elm Native 
Corporation of lands under subsection (c) or (d) shall constitute full 
satisfaction of any claim or entitlement of the Elim Native 
Corporation--
            ``(1) with respect to subsection (c), to its land 
        entitlements under section 19(b), and
            ``(2) with respect to subsection (d), to the extinguishment 
        of the Norton Bay Reservation (as withdrawn by Executive Order 
        No. 2508, dated January 3, 1917).''.
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