Bill > HR4750

This bill extends federal recognition to the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia, formally acknowledging their historical presence and tribal status. The bill provides comprehensive background on the tribe's history, tracing their origins from early interactions with European settlers in the early 1600s through various historical challenges, including the 1924 Racial Integrity Act that effectively erased their official identity. Upon federal recognition, the Patawomeck Tribe and its members will become eligible for federal services and benefits without requiring a formal reservation, with their service area specifically defined as King George County, Spotsylvania County, and Stafford County in Virginia. The bill allows the tribe to request that the Secretary of the Interior take tribal-owned lands into trust within these counties, though it explicitly prohibits the tribe from conducting gaming activities. The legislation preserves the tribe's existing membership rolls and current governing structure, and importantly, does not alter or impact the tribe's existing hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water rights. The bill also prevents the use of eminent domain to acquire lands for the tribe, providing a careful and respectful mechanism for recognizing the Patawomeck's long-standing cultural and historical presence in Virginia.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4750/all-info