- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
WASHINGTON — The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on Wednesday passed the following four bills at its business meeting:
- S. 790, A bill to clarify certain provisions of Public Law 103-116, the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993, and for other purposes;
- S. 3264, Bridging the Tribal Digital Divide Act of 2020;
- S. 4079, A bill to authorize the Seminole Tribe of Florida to lease or transfer certain land, and for other purposes; and
- S. 4556, A bill to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Indian Health Service, to acquire private land to facilitate access to the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center in Hemet, California, and for other purposes.
S. 790 will provide authority for the Secretary of the Department of the Interior to take land into trust in Cleveland County, North Carolina, on behalf of the Catawba Indian Tribe, for the purpose of conducting Indian gaming. The legislation was introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on March 13, 2019 and is cosponsored by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
S. 3264 establishes a Tribal Broadband Interagency Working Group that would provide technical assistance to tribes for the development of a Tribal Broadband Deployment Plan, detailing current and projected efforts to meet broadband connectivity goals in tribal communities. The legislation would also establish a Tribal Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee for tribal leaders to reach consensus and make recommendations to Congress on ways to improve services. S. 3264 was introduced by Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) on February 11, 2020, and is cosponsored by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).
S. 4079, which was introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) on June 25, 2020, authorizes the Seminole Tribe of Florida to convey, or otherwise transfer, interests in land. This authorization does not include lands held in trust. The bill rectifies the limitations placed on the tribe by the Non-Intercourse Act. Originally enacted in 1790, the Non-Intercourse Act requires the tribe to first get federal approval before conveying any land interest. S. 4079 would allow for the tribe to operate without this unnecessary delay and to exercise greater control over their own affairs.
S. 4556, which was introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on September 10, 2020, authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Indian Health Service, to purchase land at fair market value from willing sellers in order to facilitate access to the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center in Hemet, California. A dirt and gravel road, known as the “Best Road”, will be authorized to be acquired by HHS in order for IHS to construct and maintain a paved road that accesses the Center throughout the year.
The Committee voted favorably by voice vote on S. 790, as amended, and S. 3264, as amended, as well as S. 4079 and S. 4556. All four bills will now move to the Senate floor for further consideration.
More Stories Like This
Not Invisible Act Hearing Gathers Testimony on MMIP CasesNevada Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail for Fatal Car Accident that Killed Paiute Filmmaker Myron Dewey
MMIP Red Dress Installation Vandalized in Alaska
NCAI Mid Year Underway on Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Homelands
Native News Weekly (June 3, 2023): D.C. Briefs
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
