[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 21308-21310]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           COCOPAH LANDS ACT

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for the 
immediate consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 673) to direct 
the Secretary of the Interior to take lands in Yuma County, Arizona, 
into trust as part of the reservation of the Cocopah Indian Tribe, and 
for other purposes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                                H.R. 673

       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 ``Cocopah Lands Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

        Congress finds the following:
       (1) The reservation of the Cocopah Indian Tribe of Arizona 
     is located in Yuma County, Arizona.

[[Page 21309]]

       (2) That reservation was created by an Executive order 
     signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1917.
       (3) That reservation is made up of 3 noncontiguous tracts 
     of land.
       (4) The Tribe inhabits all 3 parts of the reservation.
       (5) The Tribe purchased the additional lands to provide 
     infrastructure to housing areas, water, and economic 
     development to tribal members.
       (6) The current trust land base of the reservation is 
     insufficient to provide such needs.
       (7) The Tribe acquired 7 parcels of land contiguous to its 
     present reservation lands in 1986, 1993, 1997, and 2005, and 
     these parcels are currently classified as ``Indian Lands'' 
     under Federal law.
       (8) The acquired parcels shall not be taken into trust for 
     gaming purposes.
       (9) The best means of solving the Tribe's land and economic 
     needs to its tribal members is to require the Secretary to 
     take lands in Yuma County, Arizona, that are acquired by the 
     Tribe into trust for the Tribe subject to the provisions of 
     this Act.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       For the purpose of this Act, the following definitions 
     apply:
       (1) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Cocopah Indian 
     Tribe of Arizona.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 4. LANDS TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST.

       (a) Lands To Be Taken Into Trust.--If the Tribe transfers 
     title to the land described in subsection (b) to the 
     Secretary, the Secretary shall take that land into trust for 
     the benefit of the Tribe, if at the time of such transfer 
     there are no adverse legal claims to such land, including 
     outstanding liens, mortgages, or taxes owed.
       (b) Land Described.--The land referred to in subsection (a) 
     is described as follows:
       (1) Parcel 1 (sibley purchase 1986).--Lot 4 and the SW\1/
     4\, of the NW\1/4\, of Sec. 1, T. 10 S., R. 25 W., of the 
     Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona, 
     except that portion of the SW\1/4\, of the NW\1/4\, of said 
     Sec. 1, T. 10 S., R. 25 W., lying southeasterly of the north 
     right-of-way line of the Bureau of Reclamation levee.
       (2) Parcel 2 (sibley purchase 1986).--Lot 1 and the SE\1/
     4\, of the NE\1/4\, of Sec. 2, T. 10 S., R. 25 W., of the 
     Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona.
       (3) Parcel 3 (mcdaniel purchase 1993).--That part of the 
     E\1/2\, of the SE\1/4\, lying south of the East Main Bureau 
     of Reclamation Canal right of way in Sec. 30, T. 9 S., R. 23 
     W., of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma 
     County, Arizona.
       (4) Parcel 4 (holland purchase 1997).--That portion of the 
     NW\1/4\, of the NE\1/4\, of Sec. 31, T. 16 S., R 22 E., of 
     the San Bernardino Base and Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona, 
     lying north of the levee and Salinity Canal; except the north 
     220 feet.
       (5) Parcel 5 (holland purchase 1997).--An easement over the 
     easterly 15 feet of the north 220 feet of that portion of the 
     NW\1/4\, of the NE\1/4\, of Sec. 31, T. 16 S., R. 22 E., of 
     the San Bernardino Base and Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona, 
     lying north of the levee and Salinity Canal for irrigation 
     purposes.
       (6) Parcel 6 (powers purchase 1997).--Lots 21, 24, and 25, 
     Sec. 29, and Lots 16 and 17 and the N\1/2\, of the SW\1/4\, 
     of the SE\1/4\, of Sec. 30, T. 16 S., R. 22 E., of the San 
     Bernardino Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona, according to the 
     dependent resurvey of the Bureau of Land Management, accepted 
     December 9, 1960.
       (7) Parcel 7 (speed way purchase 2005).--That portion of 
     the W\1/2\ of the SE\1/4\ of Sec. 30, T. 9 S., R. 23 W., of 
     the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma County, 
     Arizona, lying south and east of the East Main Canal; except 
     the south 33 feet thereof; except one-third interest in and 
     to all mineral rights, as reserved in the deed recorded in 
     Docket 1461, page 600, records of Yuma County, Arizona.
       (c) Lands To Be Made Part of the Reservation.--Land taken 
     into trust pursuant to subsection (a) shall be considered to 
     be part of the Tribe's initial reservation.
       (d) Service Area.--For the purposes of the delivery of 
     Federal services to enrolled members of the Tribe, the 
     Tribe's service area shall be Yuma County, Arizona.
       (e) Gaming Prohibited.--Land taken into trust for the 
     benefit of the Tribe under this Act shall not be used for 
     gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

     SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

        The Secretary may promulgate such regulations as may be 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

                          Committee Amendment

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the committee 
amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Committee amendment:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

                                H.R. 673

       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 ``Cocopah Lands Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

        Congress finds the following:
       (1) The reservation of the Cocopah Tribe of Arizona is 
     located in Yuma County, Arizona.
       (2) That reservation was created by an Executive order 
     signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1917.
       (3) The Tribe's land holdings are located within 3 
     noncontiguous reservations comprising a total of 
     approximately 6,226.3 acres of trust land.
       (4) The Tribe purchased the additional lands to provide 
     infrastructure to housing areas, water, and economic 
     development to tribal members.
       (5) The current trust land base of the reservation is 
     insufficient to provide such needs.
       (6) The Tribe acquired 7 parcels of land contiguous to its 
     present reservation lands in 1986, 1993, 1997, and 2005, and 
     these parcels are currently classified as ``Tribal fee 
     lands'' under Federal law.
       (7) The acquired parcels shall not be taken into trust for 
     gaming purposes.
       (8) The best means of solving the Tribe's land and economic 
     needs to its tribal members is to require the Secretary to 
     take lands in Yuma County, Arizona, that are acquired by the 
     Tribe into trust for the Tribe subject to the provisions of 
     this Act.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       For the purpose of this Act, the following definitions 
     apply:
       (1) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Cocopah Tribe of 
     Arizona.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 4. LANDS TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST.

       (a) Lands To Be Taken Into Trust.--If the Tribe transfers 
     title to the land described in subsection (b) to the 
     Secretary, the Secretary shall take that land into trust for 
     the benefit of the Tribe, if at the time of such transfer 
     there are no recognized environmental conditions or 
     contamination related concerns and no adverse legal claims to 
     such land, including outstanding liens, mortgages, or taxes 
     owed.
       (b) Land Described.--The land referred to in subsection (a) 
     is described as follows:
       (1) Parcel 1 (sibley purchase 1986).--Lot 4 and the SW\1/4\ 
     of the NW\1/4\, of Sec. 1, T. 10 S., R. 25 W., of the Gila 
     and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona, 
     except that portion of the SW\1/4\ of the NW\1/4\, of said 
     Sec. 1, T. 10 S., R. 25 W., lying southeasterly of the north 
     right-of-way line of the Bureau of Reclamation levee.
       (2) Parcel 2 (sibley purchase 1986).--Lot 1 and the SE\1/4\ 
     of the NE\1/4\, of Sec. 2, T. 10 S., R. 25 W., of the Gila 
     and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona.
       (3) Parcel 3 (mcdaniel purchase 1993).--That part of the 
     E\1/2\ of the SE\1/4\, lying south of the East Main Bureau of 
     Reclamation Canal right of way in Sec. 30, T. 9 S., R. 23 W., 
     of the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma County, 
     Arizona.
       (4) Parcel 4 (holland purchase 1997).--That portion of the 
     NW\1/4\ of the NE\1/4\, of Sec. 31, T. 16 S., R 22 E., of the 
     San Bernardino Base and Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona, lying 
     north of the levee and Salinity Canal; except the north 220 
     feet.
       (5) Parcel 5 (holland purchase 1997).--An easement over the 
     easterly 15 feet of the north 220 feet of that portion of the 
     NW\1/4\ of the NE\1/4\, of Sec. 31, T. 16 S., R. 22 E., of 
     the San Bernardino Base and Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona, 
     lying north of the levee and Salinity Canal for irrigation 
     purposes.
       (6) Parcel 6 (powers purchase 1997).--Lots 21, 24, and 25, 
     Sec. 29, and Lots 16 and 17 and the N\1/2\ of the SW\1/4\ of 
     the SE\1/4\, of Sec. 30, T. 16 S., R. 22 E., of the San 
     Bernardino Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona, according to the 
     dependent resurvey of the Bureau of Land Management, accepted 
     December 9, 1960.
       (7) Parcel 7 (speed way purchase 2005).--That portion of 
     the W\1/2\ of the SE\1/4\ of Sec. 30, T. 9 S., R. 23 W., of 
     the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian, Yuma County, 
     Arizona, lying south and east of the East Main Canal; except 
     the south 33 feet thereof; except one-third interest in and 
     to all mineral rights, as reserved in the deed recorded in 
     Docket 1461, page 600, records of Yuma County, Arizona.
       (c) Lands To Be Made Part of the Reservation.--Land taken 
     into trust pursuant to subsection (a) shall be considered to 
     be part of the Tribe's initial reservation.
       (d) Service Area.--For the purposes of the delivery of 
     Federal services to enrolled members of the Tribe, the 
     Tribe's service area shall be Yuma County, Arizona.
       (e) Gaming Prohibited.--Land taken into trust for the 
     benefit of the Tribe under this Act shall not be used for 
     gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the committee amendment be considered as read and printed 
in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.
  The committee amendment was agreed to.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. Speaker, the pending measure, introduced by our 
colleague, Representative Raul Grijalva, would

[[Page 21310]]

place land and into trust owned by a tribe located in a remote area of 
Arizona.
  The land will be used for housing, water, and non-gaming economic 
development opportunities.
  Similar measures were introduced in the 107th and the 109th 
Congresses. Resolution of this matter is long overdue.
  I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to direct the Secretary 
of the Interior to take lands in Yuma County, Arizona, into trust as 
part of the reservation of the Cocopah Tribe of Arizona, and for other 
purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________