[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2040 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2040

  To authorize a process by which the Secretary of the Interior shall 
  process acquisitions of certain real property of the Samish Indian 
               Nation into trust, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 2009

   Mr. Larsen of Washington introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize a process by which the Secretary of the Interior shall 
  process acquisitions of certain real property of the Samish Indian 
               Nation into trust, 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. ADMINISTRATIVE LAND INTO TRUST PROCESS.

    (a) Process.--For the purpose of processing acquisitions of real 
property of the Samish Indian Nation into trust under part 151 of title 
25, Code of Federal Regulations, at the request of the Samish Indian 
Nation, the Secretary of the Interior shall process as on-reservation 
acquisitions any property in the areas described in subsection (b) that 
the Samish Indian Nation both acquires and requests to deed to the 
Secretary.
    (b) Land Described.--The property referred to in subsection (a) are 
the following islands located within Skagit County, Washington: Guemes 
Island; Cypress Island; Burrows Island; Allan Island; the western part 
of Fidalgo Island, to the following described line on the isthmus 
separating the western part of Fidalgo Island from the peninsula 
comprising the eastern part of Fidalgo Island: from the northwest side 
of Similk Bay in township 34N, range 2E follow the north south section 
line, dividing section 08 from section 09, north across the Fidalgo 
Island isthmus into Fidalgo Bay; Samish Island, to the following 
described boundary line on the eastern edge of the island: from the 
northeast side of Padilla Bay, cross the south east portion of Samish 
Island along the east west line dividing section 01, range 2E, township 
35N from section 36, range 2E, township 36N, into Samish Bay and Siwash 
Slough; Cone Islands; Dot Island; Huckleberry Island; Jack Island; 
Northwest Island; Saddlebag Island; Strawberry Island; Towhead Island; 
Williamson Rocks; and Young Island.

SEC. 2. USE OF LAND.

    Real property taken into trust under section 1 shall not be used 
for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et 
seq.). The proclamation of a reservation for the Samish Indian Nation 
pursuant to the Indian Reorganization Act or the establishment of an 
initial reservation for the Samish Indian Nation shall not alter the 
prohibition of this section with regard to lands taken into trust 
pursuant to this Act.

SEC. 3. HUNTING, FISHING, TRAPPING, AND GATHERING.

    This Act shall not grant, restore, or diminish any hunting, 
fishing, trapping, or gathering treaty right of the Samish Indian 
Nation.

SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION OF EFFECT OF LAND TAKEN INTO TRUST.

    This Act shall not affect or diminish any right to which any other 
Indian tribe is entitled under law to apply to have land taken into 
trust with the area described in section 1. The designation of a 
geographic area in this Act for purposes of processing fee-to-trust 
applications under part 151 of title 25, Code of Federal Regulations, 
shall not be construed as creating a reservation for the Samish Indian 
Nation in such area. Any reservation for the Samish Indian Nation shall 
be established or created pursuant to Federal law.
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