[Senate Report 117-233]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                     Calendar No. 591

117th Congress    }                                      {    Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session       }                                      {    117-233

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



 
A BILL TO AUTHORIZE LEASES OF UP TO 99 YEARS FOR LAND HELD IN TRUST FOR 
          THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE CHEHALIS RESERVATION

                                _______
                                

                December 6, 2022.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

           Mr. Schatz, from the Committee on Indian Affairs, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 3773]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Indian Affairs, to which was referred the 
bill (S. 3773), to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land 
held in trust for the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis 
Reservation, having considered the same, reports favorably 
thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                                PURPOSE

    S. 3773 would amend the Long-Term Leasing Act of 1955 to 
allow the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation to 
lease their restricted lands for up to 99 years.

                   BACKGROUND & NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    In 1955, Congress passed the Long-Term Leasing Act\1\ 
authorizing federally recognized Indian tribes to enter into 
surface leases of restricted lands with third parties, subject 
to Secretarial approval. Unless otherwise designated, leases 
entered into pursuant to this statute are limited to a term of 
25 years, with the option to renew for one additional term of 
up to 25 years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Pub. L. No. 255, 69 Stat. 539.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In an effort to improve supply chain infrastructure, the 
Confederated Tribes seek to develop new and existing facilities 
on Tribal trust land and to lease those facilities to outside 
entities. The Tribes have multiple proposals to develop 
warehouses between Seattle and Portland to serve supply chain 
needs, but they cannot act on these proposals because the 
prospective lessees and their private financiers require 99-
year lease terms due to current market demands.
    Congress has granted 99 year leasing authority to 59 other 
Tribes through similar legislation.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\The most recent addition was the Crow Tribe of Montana. (Pub. L. 
No. 115-325, Sec. 206, 132 Stat. 4445).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                           SUMMARY OF S. 3773

    S. 3773 amends the Long-Term Leasing Act of 1955 by adding 
the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation to the list 
of Tribes permitted to lease their restricted lands for a 
period of up to 99 years.

       SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF S. 3773 AS ORDERED REPORTED

Section 1--Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation Leasing 
        Authority

    Subsection (a) amends the Long Term Leasing Act (25 U.S.C. 
415(a)) by adding the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis 
Reservation to the list of existing Tribes permitted to lease 
restricted lands for a term of 99 years.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    Senator Cantwell (D-WA) introduced S. 3773 on March 8, 
2022. The Senate referred the bill to the Senate Committee on 
Indian Affairs the same day. On March 23, 2022, the Committee 
held a hearing to consider the bill. On May 18, 2022, the 
Committee held a business meeting and ordered the bill to be 
reported favorably.

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                  Washington, DC, October 31, 2022.
Hon. Brian Schatz,
Chairman, Committee on Indian Affairs,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 3773, a bill to 
authorize leases of up to 99 years for land held in trust for 
the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Julia Aman.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    

    S. 3773 would authorize the Confederated Tribes of the 
Chehalis Reservation, located in western Washington State, to 
lease their land held in trust for a term of up to 99 years. 
Under current law, the tribes cannot lease their trust land for 
more than 25 years, with an option to renew the lease once for 
another 25 years. Because any additional proceeds from such 
leases would accrue to the tribes, CBO estimates that 
implementing S. 3773 would have no effect on the federal 
budget.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Julia Aman. The 
estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director 
of Budget Analysis.

               REGULATORY AND PAPERWORK IMPACT STATEMENT

    Paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the 
Senate requires each report accompanying a bill to evaluate the 
regulatory and paperwork impact that would be incurred in 
carrying out the bill. The Committee believes that S. 3773 will 
have minimal impact on regulatory or paperwork requirements.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    The Committee has received no communications from the 
Executive Branch regarding S. 3773.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    On February 11, 2021 the Committee unanimously approved a 
motion to waive subsection 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate. In the opinion of the Committee, it is 
necessary to dispense with subsection 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate to expedite the business of the 
Senate.

                                [all]