Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, recently announced that the committee passed S. 2599 – the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act, along with two other bills.
“These three bills are important steps toward greater self-governance and self-determination in Indian Country. I look forward to their consideration and passage by the full Senate,” said Hoeven.
This action signals a major step forward in the legislative process required for the bill to become law. The bill will now go before the full senate for passage. In order for the bill to become law, identical bills must be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before being signed into law by the President. Currently, the companion bill, H.R. 2599 is being considered by the House Natural Resources committee.
You can read more about the Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Act in our original article here:
Below is a summary of the three bills passed by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on September 26, 2018.
S.2599– the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act:
- Provides for the transfer of certain Federal land in the State of Minnesota for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
S.2154– Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas Water Rights Settlement Agreement Act:
- Approves the Kickapoo Tribe Water Rights Settlement Agreement and confirms consumptive tribal water rights in the Delaware River Basin of up to 4,705 acre-feet of water per year.
S.465– the Independent Outside Audit of the Indian Health Service Act of 2017:
- Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to assess the health care delivery systems and financial management of the Indian Health Service (IHS).
