[House Report 116-665]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress  }                                              {   Report
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session     }                                              {  116-665

======================================================================



 
         LEECH LAKE BAND OF OJIBWE RESERVATION RESTORATION ACT

                                _______
                                

 December 18, 2020.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 733]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 733) to provide for the transfer of certain 
Federal land in the State of Minnesota for the benefit of the 
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, having considered the same, reports 
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the 
bill do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 733 is to provide for the transfer of 
certain Federal land in the State of Minnesota for the benefit 
of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 733 directs the Department of Agriculture to transfer 
to the administrative jurisdiction of the Department of the 
Interior all right, title, and interest of the United States in 
and to approximately 11,760 acres of federal land in the 
Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, MN, to be held in 
trust for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. This 
action will restore tribal land that was lost when many of its 
members were illegally dispossessed of their land via 
``secretarial transfer'' during the 1950s. The Tribe intends to 
respect all existing easements, rights-of-way, and other 
encumbrances on the land and does not intend to immediately 
modify the current land uses.\1\ The land will stay in tax-
exempt fee status as part of the Chippewa National Forest until 
the Tribe develops a plan for future economic and residential 
use.
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    \1\No cabins, campgrounds, lodges, or resorts are located on the 
land.
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                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 733 was introduced on January 23, 2019, by 
Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN). The bill was referred 
solely to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the 
Committee to the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the 
United States and the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, 
and Public Lands. On June 5, 2019, the Subcommittee for 
Indigenous Peoples of the United States held a hearing on the 
bill. On September 30, 2020, the Natural Resources Committee 
met to consider the bill. The Subcommittees were discharged by 
unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, and the bill was 
adopted and ordered favorably reported to the House of 
Representatives by voice vote.
    On December 3, 2020, Congress passed S. 199, which is the 
identical companion legislation to H.R. 733. The bill was 
enrolled and, on December 11, 2020, presented to the president. 
As of December 17, 2020, the White House has not announced any 
intention by the president not to sign the bill into law.

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the 
116th Congress--the following hearing was used to develop or 
consider H.R. 733: hearing by the Subcommittee for Indigenous 
Peoples of the United States held on June 5, 2019.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

      COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT

    1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. 
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII 
of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) 
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect to 
requirements of clause (3)(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has requested 
but not received a cost estimate for this bill from the 
Director of Congressional Budget Office. The Committee adopts 
as its own cost estimate the forthcoming cost estimate of the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office, should such cost 
estimate be made available before House passage of the bill.
    The Committee has requested but not received from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to 
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    The Committee notes that CBO's analysis of S. 199, the 
identical companion legislation, is available and shows the 
bill as having no significant net effect on direct spending and 
no effect on revenues.\2\
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    \2\https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2019-02/s199.pdf.
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    2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and 
objectives of this bill are to provide for the transfer of 
certain Federal land in the State of Minnesota for the benefit 
of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                 UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT

    An estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) was not made available to 
the Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair 
of the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the 
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.
    The Committee notes that CBO's analysis of S. 199, the 
identical companion legislation, is available and shows the 
bill as not creating any mandates for purposes of UMRA.\3\
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    \3\Id.
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                           EXISTING PROGRAMS

    This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of 
the federal government known to be duplicative of another 
program.

                  APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

               PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW

    Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or 
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's 
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the 
U.S. Constitution.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing 
law.

        SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS

    None.