[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 631 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 631

  To provide grants to ensure full and fair participation in certain 
       decisionmaking processes of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 15, 2005

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide grants to ensure full and fair participation in certain 
       decisionmaking processes of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

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

SECTION 1. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Acknowledged indian tribe.--The term ``acknowledged 
        Indian tribe'' means an Indian tribe, band, nation, pueblo, or 
        other organized group or community that is recognized as 
        eligible for the special programs and services provided by the 
        United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
        eligible Indian group or eligible local government.
            (3) Eligible indian group.--The term ``eligible Indian 
        group'' means a group that--
                    (A) is an acknowledged Indian tribe or has 
                petitioned the Secretary to be acknowledged as an 
                Indian tribe; and
                    (B) needs financial assistance to facilitate fair 
                participation in a pending action, as determined by the 
                Secretary.
            (4) Eligible local government.--The term ``eligible local 
        government'' means a municipality or county that needs 
        financial assistance to facilitate fair participation in a 
        pending action.
            (5) Pending action.--The term ``pending action'' means--
                    (A) a pending action in which--
                            (i)(I) an Indian group seeks Federal 
                        acknowledgment; or
                            (II) an Indian tribe the status of which as 
                        a federally acknowledged Indian tribe has been 
                        terminated seeks to be restored to federally 
                        acknowledged status;
                            (ii) a federally acknowledged Indian tribe 
                        asserts trust status with respect to land 
                        within the boundaries of an area over which a 
                        local government exercises jurisdiction;
                            (iii) a federally acknowledged Indian tribe 
                        files a petition with the Secretary requesting 
                        that land within the boundaries of an area over 
                        which a local government exercises jurisdiction 
                        be taken into trust for the benefit of the 
                        Indian tribe; and
                            (iv) an Indian group or a federally 
                        acknowledged Indian tribe asserts a claim to 
                        land based on a treaty or a law specifically 
                        applicable to transfers of land or natural 
                        resources from, by, or on behalf of any Indian, 
                        Indian tribe, Indian group, or band of Indians 
                        (including the Act of July 22, 1790 (1 Stat. 
                        137, chapter 33), the Act of March 30, 1802 (2 
                        Stat. 139, chapter 13), and the Act of June 30, 
                        1834 (4 Stat. 729, chapter 161) (commonly known 
                        as the ``Trade and Intercourse Acts'')); or
                    (B) any other action or proposed action relating to 
                an Indian group or federally acknowledged Indian tribe 
                if the Secretary determines that the action or proposed 
                action is likely to significantly affect the citizens 
                represented by a local government.
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
    (b) Grants.--Subject to the availability of funds, on application 
of an eligible entity, the Secretary shall provide a grant to the 
eligible entity to assist eligible entity in participating in the 
decisionmaking process relating to a pending action, if the Secretary 
determines that the assistance--
            (1) is necessary to protect the interests of the Government 
        or eligible entity; and
            (2) would promote the interest of just administration in 
        the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
    (c) Amount.--A grant provided under this section to an eligible 
entity for any single pending action shall not exceed $500,000 in any 
fiscal year.
    (d) Use of Grant.--A grant provided under this section may be used 
only to pay expenses incurred after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $8,000,000 for each fiscal year.
                                 <all>