Bill > S1084

This bill, known as the North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act of 2025, establishes a process for land and mineral rights exchanges between the State of North Dakota and the federal government, with a particular focus on Native American reservations. The bill allows the State to voluntarily relinquish certain state-granted land parcels located within or near Indian reservations in exchange for equivalent unappropriated federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The land exchanges must be of substantially equal value, which will be determined by independent appraisers, with provisions for financial adjustments if the values are not precisely matched. If state land is relinquished within a reservation's boundaries, the affected Indian Tribe can request that the land be taken into trust for their benefit. The bill includes comprehensive provisions to protect existing rights, such as maintaining current grazing permits, ensuring environmental reviews, and addressing potential hazardous materials. Importantly, the legislation explicitly preserves all existing treaty rights and does not modify or limit any previously established rights of Indian Tribes. The bill also sets specific timelines for land selection, appraisal, and conveyance, with mechanisms to balance any value discrepancies through ledger accounts that must be reconciled within three to five years.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1084/all-info