[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 199 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.199

                     One Hundred Sixteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
            the third day of January, two thousand and twenty


                                 An Act


 
  To provide for the transfer of certain Federal land in the State of 
       Minnesota for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

    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 ``Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe 
Reservation Restoration Act''.
SEC. 2. LEECH LAKE BAND OF OJIBWE RESERVATION RESTORATION.
    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
        (1) the Federal land described in subsection (b)(1) was taken 
    from members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe during a period--
            (A) beginning in 1948;
            (B) during which the Bureau of Indian Affairs incorrectly 
        interpreted an order of the Secretary of the Interior to mean 
        that the Department of the Interior had the authority to sell 
        tribal allotments without the consent of a majority of the 
        rightful landowners; and
            (C) ending in 1959, when the Secretary of the Interior 
        was--
                (i) advised that sales described in subparagraph (B) 
            were illegal; and
                (ii) ordered to cease conducting those sales;
        (2) as a result of the Federal land described in subsection 
    (b)(1) being taken from members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, 
    the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe hold the smallest percentage of its 
    original reservation lands of any Ojibwe bands in Minnesota;
        (3)(A) the applicable statute of limitations prohibits 
    individuals from pursuing through litigation the return of the land 
    taken as described in paragraph (1); but
        (B) a Federal judge ruled that the land could be restored to 
    the affected individuals through the legislative process;
        (4) a comprehensive review of the Federal land demonstrated 
    that--
            (A) a portion of the Federal land is encumbered by--
                (i) utility easements;
                (ii) rights-of-way for roads; and
                (iii) flowage and reservoir rights; and
            (B) there are no known cabins, campgrounds, lodges, or 
        resorts located on any portion of the Federal land; and
        (5) on reacquisition by the Tribe of the Federal land, the 
    Tribe--
            (A) has pledged to respect the easements, rights-of-way, 
        and other rights described in paragraph (4)(A); and
            (B)(i) does not intend immediately to modify the use of the 
        Federal land; but
            (ii) will keep the Federal land in tax-exempt fee status as 
        part of the Chippewa National Forest until the Tribe develops a 
        plan that allows for a gradual subdivision of some tracts for 
        economic and residential development by the Tribe.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
        (1) Federal land.--
            (A) In general.--The term ``Federal land'' means the 
        approximately 11,760 acres of Federal land located in the 
        Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, Minnesota, the 
        boundaries of which shall be depicted on the map, and described 
        in the legal description, submitted under subsection (d)(1)(B).
            (B) Inclusions.--The term ``Federal land'' includes--
                (i) any improvement located on the Federal land 
            described in subparagraph (A); and
                (ii) any appurtenance to the Federal land.
        (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
    Agriculture.
        (3) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Leech Lake Band of 
    Ojibwe.
    (c) Transfer to Reservation.--
        (1) In general.--Subject to valid existing rights and paragraph 
    (2), the Secretary shall transfer to the administrative 
    jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior all right, title, and 
    interest of the United States in and to the Federal land.
        (2) Treatment.--Effective immediately on the transfer under 
    paragraph (1), the Federal land shall be--
            (A) held in trust by the United States for the benefit of 
        the Tribe; and
            (B) considered to be a part of the reservation of the 
        Tribe.
    (d) Survey, Map, and Legal Description.--
        (1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
            (A) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, complete a plan of survey to establish the boundaries 
        of the Federal land; and
            (B) as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, submit a map and legal description of the Federal 
        land to--
                (i) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
            Representatives; and
                (ii) the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate.
        (2) Force and effect.--The map and legal description submitted 
    under paragraph (1)(B) shall have the same force and effect as if 
    included in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct any 
    clerical or typographical error in the map or legal description.
        (3) Public availability.--The map and legal description 
    submitted under paragraph (1)(B) shall be on file and available for 
    public inspection in the office of the Secretary.
    (e) Administration.--
        (1) In general.--Except as otherwise expressly provided in this 
    section, nothing in this section affects any right or claim of the 
    Tribe, as in existence on the date of enactment of this Act, to any 
    land or interest in land.
        (2) Prohibitions.--
            (A) Exports of unprocessed logs.--Federal law (including 
        regulations) relating to the export of unprocessed logs 
        harvested from Federal land shall apply to any unprocessed logs 
        that are harvested from the Federal land.
            (B) Non-permissible use of land.--The Federal land shall 
        not be eligible or used for any gaming activity carried out 
        under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et 
        seq.).
        (3) Forest management.--Any commercial forestry activity 
    carried out on the Federal land shall be managed in accordance with 
    applicable Federal law.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.