H.R. 3744 · 115th Congress
Tribal Recognition Act of 2017
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 115th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
R
BishopSponsor1 cosponsor · 1 R
0 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill replaces the process for federal recognition of Indian tribes. Indian groups may only be recognized as an Indian tribe by Congress. Groups that are not federally recognized may submit a petition for federal recognition to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) within five years after enactment of this bill.
What it does: CRS summary · Reported to House with amendment(s) · Sep 20, 2018
Tribal Recognition Act of 2018
This bill replaces the process for federal recognition of Indian tribes. Indian groups may only be recognized as an Indian tribe by Congress. Groups that are not federally recognized may submit a petition for federal recognition to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) within five years after enactment of this bill. Groups may not be factions of recognized Indian tribes and may not have been denied federal recognition.
The BIA must publish guidelines for the preparation of petitions and provide petitioners with suggestions and advice.
The bill specifies criteria for a group to be considered an Indian tribe, including that the group has been identified as an Indian entity on a substantially continuous basis since 1900, comprises a distinct community, and consists of individuals who descend from a historical Indian tribe. Previous federal recognition is acceptable evidence of the tribal character of a group to the date of the last such recognition.
The bill reaffirms as trust land all land taken into trust by the United States under or pursuant to the Act of June 18, 1934 before February 24, 2009, for the benefit of an Indian tribe that was federally recognized on the date that the land was taken into trust.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Tribal Recognition Act of 2018
Latest action (Sep 20, 2018): Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 741.
Policy area: Native Americans · Origin: House · Introduced: Sep 12, 2017
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.