[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7541 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7541

To extend Federal recognition to the United Houma Nation, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 2024

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To extend Federal recognition to the United Houma Nation, 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 ``United Houma Recognition Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Interim tribal government.--The term ``interim Tribal 
        Government'' means the Board of Directors of the United Houma 
        Nation, Inc.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (3) Tribal constitution.--The term ``Tribal constitution'' 
        means the Tribal constitution adopted pursuant to section 4.
            (4) Tribal member.--The term ``Tribal member'' means--
                    (A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the 
                Tribe as of the date of the enactment of this Act; and
                    (B) an individual who is placed on the membership 
                rolls of the Tribe in accordance with this Act.
            (5) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the United Houma 
        Nation.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL RECOGNITION.

    (a) In General.--Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe.
    (b) Applicability of Laws.--All laws (including regulations) of the 
United States of general applicability to Indians or nations, Indian 
Tribes, or bands of Indians (including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 
U.S.C. 5101 et seq.)) that are not inconsistent with this Act shall be 
applicable to the Tribe and Tribal members.
    (c) Federal Services and Benefits.--
            (1) In general.--The Tribe and Tribal members shall be 
        eligible for all services and benefits provided by the Federal 
        Government to federally recognized Indian Tribes without regard 
        to the existence of a reservation for the Tribe.
            (2) Service area.--For purposes of delivery of services and 
        benefits to Tribal members, the service area of the Tribe shall 
        be considered to be the following parishes in the State of 
        Louisiana:
                    (A) St. Mary.
                    (B) Terrebonne.
                    (C) Lafourche.
                    (D) Jefferson.
                    (E) Plaquemines.
                    (F) St. Bernard.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP ROLL.

    (a) Initial Roll.--As a condition of receiving recognition, 
services, and benefits pursuant to this Act, the Tribe shall submit to 
the Secretary, by not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, an membership roll consisting of the name of each 
individual enrolled as a Tribal member.
    (b) Determination of Membership.--
            (1) Initial roll.--The qualifications for inclusion on the 
        membership roll submitted under subsection (a) shall be 
        determined by the interim Tribal Government in consultation 
        with the Secretary.
            (2) Subsequent membership.--Upon adoption under section 4, 
        the Tribal constitution shall govern membership in the Tribe.
    (c) Maintenance of Roll.--The Tribe shall maintain the membership 
roll.

SEC. 5. TRIBAL CONSTITUTION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the initial 
membership roll is submitted to the Secretary pursuant to section 3(a), 
the Secretary shall conduct, by secret ballot, an election for the 
purpose of adopting a constitution for the Tribe in accordance with the 
procedures applicable to elections under section 16 of the Act of June 
18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 5123).
    (b) Notice.--The Secretary shall provide at least 60 days notice to 
Tribal members with respect to the date of the election held under 
subsection (a).
    (c) Absentee Ballots.--Absentee voting shall be permitted with 
respect to the election under subsection (a) regardless of voter 
residence.

SEC. 6. GOVERNING BODY.

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the 
governing body of the Tribe shall be elected in accordance with the 
election procedures specified in the Tribal constitution.
    (b) Interim Government.--Until a governing body is elected and 
takes office in accordance with election procedures specified in the 
Tribal constitution adopted under section 5, the interim Tribal 
Government shall be the governing body of the Tribe.

SEC. 7. RESERVATION OF THE TRIBE.

    (a) In General.--Upon the request of the Tribe, the Secretary shall 
take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe any lands held in fee by 
the Tribe within the service area described in section 3(c)(2).
    (b) Reservation Status.--Any land taken into trust for the benefit 
of the Tribe pursuant to this section shall, upon the request of the 
Tribe, be considered part of the reservation of the Tribe.
    (c) Gaming.--The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities as a 
matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority of any 
Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 
et seq.) or under any regulations thereunder promulgated by the 
Secretary or the National Indian Gaming Commission.

SEC. 8. REAFFIRMATION OF RIGHTS.

    (a) In General.--Nothing in this Act diminishes any right or 
privilege of the Tribe or any Tribal member that existed before the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Claims of Tribe.--Except as otherwise provided in this Act, 
nothing in this Act alters or affects any legal or equitable claim of 
the Tribe to enforce any right or privilege reserved by, or granted to, 
the Tribe that was wrongfully denied to, or taken from, the Tribe 
before the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Hunting and Fishing Rights.--Nothing in this Act expands, 
reduces, or affects in any manner any hunting, fishing, trapping, 
gathering, or water rights of the Tribe and Tribal members.
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