[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 12, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2220-H2221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               BLACKWATER TRADING POST LAND TRANSFER ACT

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 478) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to take certain 
land located in Pinal County, Arizona, into trust for the benefit of 
the Gila River Indian Community, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 478

       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 ``Blackwater Trading Post Land 
     Transfer Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Blackwater trading post land.--The term ``Blackwater 
     Trading Post Land'' means the approximately 55.3 acres of 
     land as depicted on the map that--
       (A) is located in Pinal County, Arizona, and bordered by 
     Community land to the east, west, and north and State Highway 
     87 to the south; and
       (B) is owned by the Community.
       (2) Community.--The term ``Community'' means the Gila River 
     Indian Community of the Reservation.

[[Page H2221]]

       (3) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Results 
     of Survey, Ellis Property, A Portion of the West \1/2\ of 
     Section 12, Township 5 South, Range 7 East, Gila and Salt 
     River Meridian, Pinal County, Arizona'' and dated October 15, 
     2012.
       (4) Reservation.--The term ``Reservation'' means the land 
     located within the exterior boundaries of the reservation 
     created under sections 3 and 4 of the Act of February 28, 
     1859 (11 Stat. 401, chapter LXVI), and Executive orders of 
     August 31, 1876, June 14, 1879, May 5, 1882, November 15, 
     1883, July 31, 1911, June 2, 1913, August 27, 1914, and July 
     19, 1915, and any other lands placed in trust for the benefit 
     of the Community.
       (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 3. LAND TAKEN INTO TRUST FOR BENEFIT OF THE GILA RIVER 
                   INDIAN COMMUNITY.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall take the Blackwater 
     Trading Post land into trust for the benefit of the 
     Community, after the Community--
       (1) conveys to the Secretary all right, title, and interest 
     of the Community in and to the Blackwater Trading Post Land;
       (2) submits to the Secretary a request to take the 
     Blackwater Trading Post Land into trust for the benefit of 
     the Community;
       (3) conducts a survey (to the satisfaction of the 
     Secretary) to determine the exact acreage and legal 
     description of the Blackwater Trading Post Land, if the 
     Secretary determines a survey is necessary; and
       (4) pays all costs of any survey conducted under paragraph 
     (3).
       (b) Availability of Map.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     Blackwater Trading Post Land is taken into trust under 
     subsection (a), the map shall be on file and available for 
     public inspection in the appropriate offices of the 
     Secretary.
       (c) Lands Taken Into Trust Part of Reservation.--After the 
     date on which the Blackwater Trading Post Land is taken into 
     trust under subsection (a), the land shall be treated as part 
     of the Reservation.
       (d) Gaming.--Class II and class III gaming under the Indian 
     Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) shall not be 
     allowed at any time on the land taken into trust under 
     subsection (a).
       (e) Description.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall cause the full 
     metes-and-bounds description of the Blackwater Trading Post 
     Land to be published in the Federal Register. The description 
     shall, on publication, constitute the official description of 
     the Blackwater Trading Post Land.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Soto) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 478, introduced by our colleague, Representative  
 Tom O'Halleran from Arizona, authorizes the United States to place 
55.3 acres of historically and culturally significant land into trust 
on behalf of the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona.
  This parcel of land is commonly referred to as the Blackwater Trading 
Post Land, because it once contained the Ellis family's Blackwater 
Trading Post which sold goods to members of the Gila River Indian 
Community since the 1930s.
  After purchasing the trading post in 2010, the community found around 
1,000 cultural artifacts on the property, including 126 Akimel O'odham 
baskets. Following this discovery, the community decided to apply to 
take the parcel of land into trust.
  However, legislation is required for this exchange, as the 
community's 2004 water settlement explicitly requires that any lands 
located outside of the community's reservation boundaries be taken into 
trust through congressional action.
  Passage of H.R. 478 will ultimately allow the community to preserve a 
piece of their heritage by incorporating this contiguous parcel of land 
into its reservation land base.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representative O'Halleran for his work 
on this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 478, the Blackwater Trading 
Post Land Transfer Act. This bill will place approximately 55 acres of 
land in Pinal County, Arizona, into trust for the Gila River Indian 
Community. According to the Tribe, these lands and the former 
Blackwater Trading Post have a historical connection to the Tribe, as 
the trading post served many Tribal members since at least the 1930s. 
In 2010, the Tribe purchased the Blackwater Trading Post and 
surrounding lands after the former owners retired.
  Pursuant to the 2004 Arizona Water Rights Settlement Act, the Gila 
River Tribe cannot acquire off-reservation lands into trust absent an 
act of Congress.
  Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. SOTO. In closing, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support 
this legislation for the Gila River Community of Arizona, as corrected. 
I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) who knows the State 
very well.
  I urge support of the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona's 
incorporation of this additional land. I thank Representative 
O'Halleran for his leadership and the bipartisan support of the ranking 
member, Mr. Westerman from Arkansas.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 478.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. GREENE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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