[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 17 (Tuesday, February 26, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S1222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ENCOURAGING NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT OF TRIBAL CLAIMS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 316, S. 1857.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1857) to encourage the negotiated settlement of 
     tribal claims.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Indian Affairs with an 
amendment to strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in 
lieu thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SETTLEMENT OF TRIBAL CLAIMS.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, for purposes of determining the date on which an Indian 
     tribe received a reconciliation report for purposes of 
     applying a statute of limitations, any such report provided 
     to or received by an Indian tribe in response to section 304 
     of the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 
     1994 (25 U.S.C. 4044) shall be deemed to have been received 
     by the Indian tribe on December 31, 1999.
       (b) Statement of Purpose.--Subsection (a) is solely 
     intended to provide recipients of reconciliation reports with 
     the opportunity to postpone the filing of claims, or to 
     facilitate the voluntary dismissal of claims, to encourage 
     settlement negotiations with the United States.

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee 
substitute be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read the third time 
and passed; the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; and any 
statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 1857), as amended, was read the third time and passed.

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