[House Report 117-194]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress   }                                      {      Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session     }                                      {     117-194

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



 
       AGUA CALIENTE LAND EXCHANGE FEE TO TRUST CONFIRMATION ACT

                                _______
                                

December 1, 2021.--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. 897]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 897) to take certain lands in California into 
trust for the benefit of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla 
Indians, and for other purposes, 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. 897 is to take certain lands in 
California into trust for the benefit of the Agua Caliente Band 
of Cahuilla Indians.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (ACBCI) is 
located in Palm Springs, CA, east of Mt. San Jacinto, an area 
set aside for the tribe in 1876 by President Ulysses S. Grant. 
Over the centuries, the lands traditionally held by the 
Cahuilla people were divided into even and odd parcels of land 
owned by a combination of tribal, federal government, and 
private entities, resulting in a checkerboard formation. 
However, as of today, ACBCI stands as the single largest 
landowner in Palm Springs.
    Over the past few decades, ACBCI has been involved in a 
series of land transfers with the federal government to 
consolidate their historical land base and reclaim certain 
culturally significant areas. In 1999, the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) and ACBCI came to one such agreement regarding 
the exchange of remote wilderness lands located within the 
Santa Rosa and the San Jacinto Mountains National Monument so 
that the two entities could manage them in a cooperative and 
coordinated manner. After finalizing this agreement in March of 
2019, the lands in question will now be managed by ACBCI 
similarly to how they were managed by BLM--as conservation 
land.
    H.R. 897 will effectuate the exchange and agreement by 
taking approximately 2,560 acres of land into trust on behalf 
of the Tribe for cultural and conservation purposes. The bill 
also includes a gaming prohibition on the lands to alleviate 
any concerns about land use.
    The lands are all located within the exterior boundaries of 
the ACBCI Reservation and have longstanding cultural and 
natural resource value to the Cahuilla people. Taking this land 
into trust also helps to consolidate the ``checkerboard'' land 
ownership and around the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, 
providing ACBCI with a more logical and consistent land 
management responsibility.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 897 was introduced on February 5, 2021, by 
Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA). 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. On October 13, 2021, the Natural Resources Committee 
met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by 
unanimous consent. No amendments were offered. The bill was 
adopted and ordered favorably reported to the House of 
Representatives by unanimous consent.

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the 
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure: 
full Committee markup held on October 13, 2021.

            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) and (3) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, the Committee has been informed by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office that the bill, as noticed for 
consideration under suspension of the rules, will have no 
effect on direct spending or revenues.\1\
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    \1\CBO, Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules 2 
(Nov. 29, 2021), https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2021-11/
suspensions_week_of_November_29_0.pdf.
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    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, or credit authority. The Committee adopts as its own 
cost estimate the cost estimate of the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office and any updates thereto, should any 
updates be made available before House passage of the bill.
    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 take certain lands in California 
into trust for the benefit of the Agua Caliente Band of 
Cahuilla Indians.

                           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 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.

                           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.

                                  [all]