This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to take land into trust for all federally recognized Indian tribes.
Specifically, the bill applies the Indian Reorganization Act to all federally recognized Indian tribes, regardless of when a tribe became recognized. The amendments made by this bill are retroactively effective as if included in the Indian Reorganization Act. This effectively overrules the Supreme Court's decision in Carcieri v. Salazar, which held that Interior could not take land into trust for a specified tribe because that tribe had not been under federal jurisdiction when the Indian Reorganization Act was enacted in 1934.
To reaffirm actions taken by the Secretary of the Interior for the 
           benefit of Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. RATIFICATION AND CONFIRMATION OF ACTIONS.

    Any action taken by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the 
Act of June 18, 1934 (commonly known as the ``Indian Reorganization 
Act'') (48 Stat. 984, chapter 576; 25 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.), for any 
Indian Tribe that was federally recognized on the date of the action is 
ratified and confirmed, to the extent such action is subjected to 
challenge based on whether the Indian Tribe was federally recognized or 
under Federal jurisdiction on June 18, 1934, as if the action had, by 
prior Act of Congress, been specifically authorized and directed.
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A bill to reaffirm actions taken by the Secretary of the Interior for the benefit of Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.
A bill to reaffirm actions taken by the Secretary of the Interior for the benefit of Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.
Official Titles - Senate
Official Title as Introduced
A bill to reaffirm actions taken by the Secretary of the Interior for the benefit of Indian Tribes, and for other purposes.
Sen. Moran, Jerry