[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 9, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2155-H2157]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1545
   PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS LAND INTO TRUST CONFIRMATION ACT OF 2023

  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 382) to take certain land in the State of Washington into 
trust for the benefit of the Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
Reservation, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 382

       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 ``Puyallup Tribe of Indians 
     Land Into Trust Confirmation Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. LAND TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE 
                   PUYALLUP TRIBE OF THE PUYALLUP RESERVATION.

       (a) In General.--The approximately 17.264 acres of land 
     owned in fee by the Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
     Reservation in Pierce County, Washington, and described in 
     subsection (b) is hereby taken into trust by the United 
     States for the benefit of the Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
     Reservation.
       (b) Land Descriptions.--
       (1) Parcel 1.--Lots 1 to 4, inclusive, Block 85, Map of 
     Tacoma Tidelands, as surveyed and platted by the Board of 
     Appraisers of Tide and Shore Lands for Pierce County, 
     according to Plat filed for record on September 14, 1895, in 
     the Office of the County Auditor, in Tacoma, Pierce County, 
     Washington.
       (2) Parcel 2.--Lots 5 to 9, inclusive, Block 85, Map of 
     Tacoma Tidelands, as surveyed and platted by the Board of 
     Appraisers of Tide and Shore Lands for Pierce County, 
     according to Plat filed for record on September 14, 1895, in 
     the Office of the County Auditor, in Tacoma, Pierce County, 
     Washington.
       (3) Parcel 3.--Parcel A of City of Tacoma Boundary Line 
     Adjustment MPD2011-40000166230, recorded October 12, 2011, 
     under Pierce County Auditor Recording No. 201110125009, as 
     corrected by Affidavit of Minor Correction of Map Recorded 
     September 25, 2012, under Pierce County Auditor Recording No. 
     201209250440.

[[Page H2156]]

       (c) Administration.--Land taken into trust under subsection 
     (a) shall be--
       (1) part of the Reservation of the Puyallup Tribe of the 
     Puyallup Reservation; and
       (2) administered in accordance with the laws and 
     regulations generally applicable to property held in trust by 
     the United States for the benefit of an Indian Tribe.
       (d) Environmental Liability.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, the United States shall not be liable for 
     any environmental contamination that occurred on the land 
     described in subsection (b) on or before the date on which 
     that land is taken into trust under subsection (a).
       (e) Gaming Prohibited.--Land taken into trust under 
     subsection (a) shall not be used for any class II gaming or 
     class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 
     U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) (as those terms are defined in section 4 
     of that Act (25 U.S.C. 2703)).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Wyoming (Ms. Hageman) and the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger 
Fernandez) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wyoming.


                             General Leave

  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on S. 382, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Wyoming?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 382, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Into Trust 
Confirmation Act, would place approximately 17 acres of land in Pierce 
County, Washington, into trust for the Tribe.
  The land in question is currently owned by the Tribe in fee simple, 
and the Tribe intends to use the land for economic development purposes 
to benefit the Tribe and the surrounding area.
  The parcels contain evidence of environmental contamination, which 
complicates the process by which the Bureau of Indian Affairs would 
take land into trust through the administrative fee-to-trust process. 
Under an administrative process, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or BIA, 
would require full land remediation before the process even begins. 
This would be cost prohibitive for the Tribe and unnecessary given the 
Tribe's intended use of the land as a shipping terminal and 
transportation facility.
  Additionally, S. 382 makes clear that the United States is not liable 
for any environmental contamination on the land and includes a 
prohibition on gaming pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 382, the Puyallup Tribe of 
Indians Land Into Trust Confirmation Act of 2023, introduced by Senator 
Cantwell and led in the House by my incredibly brilliant colleague from 
Washington, Representative Kilmer.
  We know that land is at the very essence of Tribal sovereignty, 
cultural survival, and economic sovereignty. That is why taking land 
into trust for Tribes, either through the BIA or congressional process, 
is essential if we are to honor our trust responsibilities to Tribes, 
if we are to honor our commitment to help reverse, if only by a few 
acres at a time, some of the worst of our Federal policies from the 
19th and 20th centuries.
  This bill would authorize the United States to take approximately 
17.2 acres of land located in Pierce County, Washington, and owned by 
the Puyallup Tribe into trust for the benefit of the Tribe.
  Typically, land is taken into trust under the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs administrative process. However, it is not uncommon for Tribes 
to take a legislative route depending on their circumstances.
  In the case of the Puyallup Tribe, the Tribe identified legacy 
contamination from historical industrial sites when undergoing 
environmental site assessments.
  When placing land into trust, the Federal Government does not take 
liability for environmental contamination that could have occurred 
prior to the transfer. As that is the case here, the BIA is unable to 
take the land into trust administratively, and congressional action 
through legislation is the most viable option for the Tribe in this 
case.
  This legislation would move the Tribe's land-into-trust process 
forward and ultimately expand job and economic development 
opportunities. By adding these lands in the port area, the Tribe will 
be able to develop a 21st century shipping terminal that will help 
address the backlog facing our Nation's ports. Placing this land into 
trust will make this land the first international Tribal trade center 
in modern times. I say in modern times because we know there was much 
trade that was going on before European contact.
  The Puyallup Tribe is a signatory to the Treaty of Medicine Creek of 
1854, which designated 200,000 acres as permanent homeland for their 
people. However, the ink had barely dried on the treaty before efforts 
to take the Tribe's land began through acts of Congress, illegal sales 
of reservation land, and outright theft.
  Given so much historical and cultural loss, it is appropriate to 
grant the restoration of these lands to the Tribe.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close. I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer).
  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Puyallup Tribe of 
Indians Land Into Trust Confirmation Act, a critical piece of 
legislation that represents not only an act of justice, but a 
significant step toward economic revitalization and sustainable 
development in our region.
  This bill, introduced by myself alongside my colleagues, Senator 
Maria Cantwell, Senator Patty Murray, and Representative Marilyn 
Strickland, seeks to transfer over 17 acres of land currently owned by 
Puyallup Tribe into Federal trust.
  This action is not merely administrative, it is a restoration of the 
Tribe's ancestral homeland, a place that holds a deep cultural and 
historical significance for the Puyallup people.
  As the Puyallup Tribe's lands, after recent congressional 
redistricting, fall within the region I am privileged to represent, I 
am aware of the profound impact this legislation can have.
  Indeed, it is not just about land. It is about enabling the Puyallup 
Tribe to further diversify and expand economic opportunities, to spur 
job creation at the Port of Tacoma and along the Tacoma waterfront, a 
vision of prosperity that benefits not only the Tribe, but the entire 
South Puget Sound region.

  When we introduced this bill, I pointed out that this legislation 
will help restore the Tribe's homelands, ensuring the Tribe can 
continue to diversify and grow economic opportunities and create jobs 
across our region. I stand by those words today, committed to ensuring 
that the Federal Government upholds its trust and treaty obligations.
  Last year, I attended the State of the Union address with Puyallup 
Tribal Chairman Bill Sterud as my guest. Chairman Sterud joined the 
Puyallup Tribal Council in 1978 and has served as chairman and vice-
chairman several times since his first election.
  Chairman Sterud is a proud father and grandfather of a University of 
Washington Husky, who frequently gives welcomes to incoming students at 
the UW Tacoma and graduates at UW commencement, and someone who cares 
deeply about his people and those who live in the surrounding 
community.
  In his own words, Chairman Sterud believes that the land into trust 
act will help the Tribe diversify its economy and bring critical 
infrastructure and business to the Tribe's port development and the 
entire region. In other words, this is a game changer for the Puyallup 
Tribe.
  Our Federal Government has a solemn duty to ensure that Tribal 
communities are afforded the same opportunities that have spurred 
growth and prosperity across other communities in our State and Nation. 
Moreover, by putting this land into trust, Congress

[[Page H2157]]

can help unlock a host of Federal programs and services that can 
catalyze significant economic development and infrastructure 
investments for the Puyallup Tribe and surrounding communities.
  In Washington State, this proposal has garnered widespread support 
not only from within the Tribe, but also from the city of Tacoma, from 
Pierce County, from Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and the team at the 
Port of Tacoma.
  This broad base of community support underscores the mutual benefits 
anticipated from this action, benefits that will surely extend well 
beyond the boundaries of the land in question, fostering a more 
vibrant, healthy, and economically robust Puget Sound region.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Into Trust Confirmation 
Act. I thank the gentlewoman from across the aisle for her support of 
it. I thank my colleague for her support of it.
  Let us take this step together as a forward-looking investment in the 
economic vitality and cultural richness of the Pacific northwest.
  Moving forward, Congress can honor its commitments to Native nations, 
respect our shared history, and work hand in hand with Tribes like the 
Puyallup to build a future of prosperity and partnership.
  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, yield myself the balance of my time 
to close.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Kilmer and Senator Cantwell for 
bringing this legislation forward. I also thank Chairman Sterud and the 
people of the Puyallup Tribe because what they are doing here today is 
beneficial not only for the Tribe, but, as noted, for the entire 
region.
  I think we will see this over and over again in the bills we are 
hearing today and that we will hear into the future with regards to 
taking land into trust. It benefits not just the Tribe and the local 
economy, but those who live around the Tribe. In this instance, because 
of the port, it will benefit the entire Nation. Therefore, we are 
grateful for the work that they have done in terms of pursuing this 
land-into-trust application.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, this legislation would take approximately 
17 acres of fee land in Pierce County, Washington, into trust for the 
benefit of the Puyallup Tribe to support the development of a 21st 
century shipping and transportation facility.
  I thank the sponsors of this legislation for their work on behalf of 
their constituents. I support this bill, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 382.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________