[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9094-9095]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            SANDIA PUEBLO SETTLEMENT TECHNICAL AMENDMENT ACT

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules

[[Page 9095]]

and pass the bill (S. 611) to make a technical amendment to the T'uf 
Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area Act, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 611

       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 ``Sandia Pueblo Settlement 
     Technical Amendment Act''.

     SEC. 2. SANDIA PUEBLO SETTLEMENT TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.

       Section 413(b) of the T'uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust 
     Area Act (16 U.S.C. 539m-11(b)) is amended--
       (1) in the first sentence of paragraph (4), by striking 
     ``conveyance'' and inserting ``title to be conveyed''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(6) Failure to exchange.--
       ``(A) In general.--If the land exchange authorized under 
     paragraph (1) is not completed by the date that is 30 days 
     after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary, 
     on request of the Pueblo and the Secretary of the Interior, 
     shall transfer the National Forest land generally depicted as 
     `Land to be Held in Trust' on the map entitled `Sandia Pueblo 
     Settlement Technical Amendment Act' and dated October 18, 
     2013, to the Secretary of the Interior to be held in trust by 
     the United States for the Pueblo--
       ``(i) subject to the restriction enforced by the Secretary 
     of the Interior that the land remain undeveloped, with the 
     natural characteristics of the land to be preserved in 
     perpetuity; and
       ``(ii) consistent with subsection (c).
       ``(B) Other transfers.--After the transfer under 
     subparagraph (A) is complete, the Secretary of the Interior, 
     with the consent of the Pueblo, shall--
       ``(i) transfer to the Secretary, consistent with section 
     411(c)--

       ``(I) the La Luz tract generally depicted on the map 
     entitled `Sandia Pueblo Settlement Technical Amendment Act' 
     and dated October 18, 2013; and
       ``(II) the conservation easement for the Piedra Lisa tract 
     generally depicted on the map entitled `Sandia Pueblo 
     Settlement Technical Amendment Act' and dated October 18, 
     2013; and

       ``(ii) grant to the Secretary a right-of-way for the Piedra 
     Lisa Trail within the Piedra Lisa tract generally depicted on 
     the map entitled `Sandia Pueblo Settlement Technical 
     Amendment Act' and dated October 18, 2013.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. 
Michelle Lujan Grisham) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. 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 the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 611 authorizes a transfer of land between the U.S. 
Forest Service and the Pueblo of Sandia in the State of New Mexico. The 
bill would complete a series of pending land exchanges that were 
originally authorized under a 2003 law. The exchanges were intended to 
resolve the Pueblo's ownership claims to Sandia Mountain and to retain 
certain lands and interests in public ownership as part of the Cibola 
National Forest.
  Some of the land exchanges were not executed because of a 
disagreement over land valuation. In 2009, Congress attempted to 
resolve this matter through a technical amendment but, in the view of 
the Forest Service, the bill did not resolve the land valuation 
dispute. So, Mr. Speaker, it is hoped that round two of the technical 
amendments to the 2003 act will conclude the matter.
  The Committee on Natural Resources has reported the House companion 
measure to this bill, H.R. 3605, and we have no objection to passing S. 
611 in lieu of H.R. 3605.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 
such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of S. 611, the Sandia Pueblo Settlement Technical 
Amendment Act.
  Senate 611 provides technical amendments to the T'uf Shur Bien 
Preservation Trust Area Act, which passed Congress over 10 years ago, 
in order to settle land claims with the Pueblo of Sandia, but due to 
uncertainty over the valuation of land within the U.S. Forest Service, 
has still not been implemented.
  Specifically, this bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture, at the 
request of the Sandia Pueblo and the Secretary of the Interior, to 
transfer certain national forest land to the Secretary of the Interior 
to be held in trust for the Pueblo, if a land exchange with the Pueblo 
required by the T'uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area Act is not 
completed within 30 days of this Act's enactment.
  The bill would also affect a land conveyance, a transfer of right-of-
way from the tribe to the Forest Service, and would require the 
National Forest land in question to remain undeveloped so that the 
Pueblo will be able to use the land for ceremonial purposes in 
perpetuity.
  This bill is the companion of H.R. 3605, a bill I introduced in the 
House. That bill was reported favorably out of committee. Since the 
Senate bill has already passed that body, we have decided to vote on 
that bill to, hopefully, pass it with efficiency.
  It is difficult for many tribal communities to access and protect 
sacred sites. So when we have the opportunity to place sacred sites 
under tribal control, I think it is important for this body to act.
  The Pueblo of Sandia and the entire New Mexico delegation supports S. 
611. I ask my colleagues to stand with me in support of this important 
bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I will advise my friend from 
New Mexico that I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.
  Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I thank my 
colleague.
  I just want to reiterate my gratitude to the entire New Mexico 
delegation; the Governor of Pueblo Sandia, Governor Paisano; the 
lieutenant governor; and the entire tribal council.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 611.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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