[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7165-S7166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ALASKA NATIVE VILLAGE MUNICIPAL LANDS RESTORATION ACT OF 2023
A bill (S. 2615) to amend the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act to provide that Village Corporations shall not
be required to convey land in trust to the State of Alaska
for the establishment of Municipal Corporations, and for
other purposes, which had been reported from the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources, was ordered to be engrossed for
a third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as
follows:
S. 2615
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 ``Alaska Native Village
Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. REVERSION OF CERTAIN LAND CONVEYED IN TRUST TO THE
STATE OF ALASKA.
Section 14(c) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
(43 U.S.C. 1613(c)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as
subparagraphs (A) through (E), respectively, and indenting
appropriately;
(2) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so
redesignated), by striking ``(c) Each patent'' and inserting
the following:
``(c) Conveyance of Certain Land by Village Corporation.--
``(1) In general.--Each patent'';
(3) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), in the
undesignated matter following subparagraph (E) (as so
redesignated), in the first sentence--
(A) by striking ``section 14(c) of this Act'' and inserting
``this subsection''; and
(B) by striking ``There is authorized'' and inserting the
following:
``(2) Technical assistance.--
``(A) In general.--There are authorized'';
(4) in paragraph (2)(A) (as so redesignated), in the second
sentence, by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the
following:
``(B) Form of funding.--The Secretary''; and
(5) in paragraph (1) (as so designated)--
(A) in each of subparagraphs (A) and (B) (as so
redesignated)--
(i) by striking ``the'' the first place it appears and
inserting ``The''; and
(ii) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting a
period;
(B) in subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated), by striking
``the'' the first place it appears and inserting ``The'';
(C) by striking ``existed as of'' in subparagraph (D) (as
so redesignated) and all that follows through ``for'' in
subparagraph (E) (as so redesignated) and inserting the
following: ``existed as of December 18, 1971.
``(E) For''; and
(D) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesignated)--
(i) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting a
period;
(ii) by striking ``in trust: Provided, however, That the
word'' and all that follows through ``sentence,'' and
inserting the following: ``in trust.
``(II) Definition of sale.--For purposes of subclause (I),
the term `sale' '';
(iii) by striking ``one thousand two hundred and eighty
acres: Provided further, That any net'' and inserting the
following: ``1,280 acres.
``(iii) Net revenues.--
``(I) In general.--Any net'';
(iv) by striking ``community needs: Provided, That the''
and inserting the following: ``community needs.
``(ii) Minimum acreage.--The'';
(v) by striking ``(C) the Village Corporation'' and
inserting the following:
``(C) Conveyance to municipal corporation or the state in
trust.--
``(i) In general.--The Village Corporation''; and
(vi) by adding at the end the following:
``(iv) Cases in which conveyance shall not be required.--
``(I) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this subparagraph, if a Village Corporation, prior to the
date of enactment of the Alaska Native Village Municipal
Lands Restoration Act of 2023, conveyed to the State in trust
all or a portion of the acreage of land required to be
conveyed under this subparagraph for the establishment of a
Municipal Corporation in the future, and a Municipal
Corporation has not been established as of that date of
enactment, on formal resolution by the Village Corporation
and the residents of the Native village requesting
dissolution of the trust, the trust shall be dissolved and
title to the land shall revert to the Village Corporation,
subject to subclause (III).
``(II) Additional land.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of this subparagraph, as of the date of enactment
of the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act
of 2023, a Village Corporation shall not be required to
convey any additional land in trust under this subparagraph
for the establishment of a Municipal Corporation in the
future.
``(III) Requirements.--In accordance with subsection (g)--
``(aa) the reversion of land to a Village Corporation
pursuant to subclause (I) shall be subject to--
``(AA) valid existing rights created by the applicable
trust; and
``(BB) any existing easements, rights-of-way necessary for
public roadway access, or rights-of-way for access of holders
of valid existing rights; and
``(bb) the Village Corporation shall assume the obligations
of the applicable trust with respect to any lease or other
use agreement applicable to the land on reversion of the land
to the Village Corporation pursuant to subclause (I).''.
Ms. HIRONO. Madam President, this package contains two bills with
broad, bipartisan support. One of those bills, H.R. 6062, is sponsored
by Delegate Amata Radewagen of American Samoa. This bill will repeal a
requirement that the Constitution of American Samoa can only be amended
by an Act of Congress.
Repealing this provision will allow the people of American Samoa to
amend their Territorial constitution without further congressional
action, a right that they had before 1983.
In 2022, American Samoa held a constitutional convention and approved
5 of 11 proposed constitutional amendments. This marked the first time
voters had approved amendments since the 1983 change requiring
congressional approval. These amendments have been pending
congressional action since December 2022. There is no need for further
delay. We restore American Samoa's self-determination in their
constitutional matters by passing H.R. 6062.
In addition to this important bill affecting American Samoa, this
package includes a bill, S. 2615, sponsored by Representative Mary
Peltola and
[[Page S7166]]
Senator Murkowski, to sunset an outdated requirement in the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act for village corporations to reconvey lands
for municipal uses. This will free up lands for needs such as housing
and help Alaska Natives realize the full intended benefit of the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act.
On behalf of Delegate Radewagen, Representative Peltola, and Senator
Murkowski, I thank my colleagues for joining me in passing these bills
en bloc.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
____________________