Bill > HR5820

This bill seeks to extend federal recognition to the Mono Lake Kootzaduka'a Tribe, granting them the same rights, services, and benefits afforded to other federally recognized Native American tribes. The bill defines key terms, including who qualifies as a tribe member, and mandates that the tribe submit a membership roll to the Secretary of the Interior within 18 months of enactment. It ensures that the tribe will be eligible for federal services and benefits regardless of whether they have a reservation, with a service area defined as Mono and Inyo Counties in California. The legislation preserves the tribe's existing rights and specifically grants hunting and fishing rights on federal lands within their aboriginal territory. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to identify Bureau of Land Management land in Mono County that can be used for tribal government administration, services, economic development, and housing, and mandates that these lands be taken into trust for the tribe's benefit. The bill also clarifies that nothing in the act diminishes any pre-existing tribal rights or privileges and allows the tribe to continue pursuing any legal claims that may have been previously denied or taken from them.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5820/all-info