Top Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 09/14/2007 - Signed by President.

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A bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process. 9/14/2007--Public Law.    (There are 3 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on July 31, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.)Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 - Title I: Closing the Revolving Door - (Sec. 101) Amends the federal criminal code to extend from one to two years the ban on lobbying contacts by former: (1) very senior executive personnel with any Member, officer, or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated; and (2) Senators with any Member, officer or employee of either chamber, or employee of any other legislative office.Continues the one-year ban on lobbying contacts by former: (1) Members of the House of Representatives with any Member, officer, or employee of either chamber, or employee of any other legislative office; (2) [...]

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Latest Action: 07/08/2008 - Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Dorgan without amendment. With written report No. 110-409. Additional views filed.

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To provide for the recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, and for other purposes. 7/8/2008--Reported to Senate without amendment.    (There are 3 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on June 7, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.)Lumbee Recognition Act - Extends federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, as designated as petitioner number 65 by the Office of Federal Acknowledgment.Permits any group of Indians in Robeson and adjoining counties, North Carolina, whose members are not enrolled in the Tribe to petition for acknowledgment of tribal existence. Makes the Tribe and its members eligible for all services and benefits provided to Indians because of their status as members of a federally recognized tribe. Deems, for purposes of delivery of such services, those members of the Tribe residing in Robeson, Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland [...]

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Latest Action: 03/01/2007 - Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Inouye without amendment. With written report No. 110-28.

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A bill to establish a United States Boxing Commission to administer the Act, and for other purposes. 3/1/2007--Reported to Senate without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2007 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 to: (1) authorize a tribal organization to establish a boxing commission to regulate professional boxing matches held on Indian land; and (2) provide that its provisions shall apply to professional boxing matches held on tribal lands to the same extent and in the same way as they apply to such matches held in any state. Requires health and safety standards and licensing requirements for matches to be at least as restrictive as: (1) standards and requirements in the state in which the Indian land is located; or (2) the guidelines established [...]

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Latest Action: 06/18/2007 - Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Dorgan without amendment and with a preamble. With written report No. 110-83.

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A joint resolution to acknowledge a long history of official depredations and ill-conceived policies by the United States Government regarding Indian tribes and offer an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States. 6/18/2007--Reported to Senate without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Recognizes the special legal and political relationship the Indian tribes have with the United States and the solemn covenant with the land we share. Commends and honors the Native Peoples for the thousands of years that they have stewarded and protected this land. Recognizes that there have been years of official depredations, ill-conceived policies, and the breaking of covenants by the U.S. government regarding Indian tribes. Apologizes on behalf of the people of the United States to all Native Peoples for [...]

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Latest Action: 02/28/2008 - Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.

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To provide for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. 8/3/2007--Public Law.    (There are 2 other summaries) Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 - Provides for implementation of recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission).Title I: Homeland Security Grants - (Sec. 101) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA) to establish Homeland Security Grant Programs (consisting of an Urban Area Security Initiative and a State Homeland Security Grant Program). Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (the Secretary) to award Program grants through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Provides that none of the provisions regarding grants to states and high-risk urban areas shall be construed to affect programs authorized under the Federal Fire Prevention [...]

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Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

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To acknowledge a long history of official depredations and ill-conceived policies by the United States Government regarding Indian tribes and offer an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Recognizes the special legal and political relationship the Indian tribes have with the United States and the solemn covenant with the land we share. Commends and honors the Native Peoples for the thousands of years that they have stewarded and protected this land. Acknowledges years of official depredations, ill-conceived policies, and the breaking of covenants by the Federal Government regarding Indian tribes. Apologizes on behalf of the people of the United States to all Native Peoples for the many instances of violence, maltreatment, and neglect inflicted on them by U.S. citizens. Expresses the regret of the United States for the ramifications of former offenses and its commitment to build on the positive relationships [...]

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Latest Action: 01/18/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Rules.

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Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to establish the Committee on Indian Affairs.

1/18/2007--Introduced.

Amends Rule X (Organization of Committees) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to establish the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

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To extend Federal recognition to the Rappahannock Tribe, and for other purposes.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Extends federal recognition to the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., of Virginia. Makes the Tribe and its members eligible for all future services and benefits provided by the federal government to federally recognized tribes. Deems the Tribe's service area to be King and Queen, Caroline, and Essex, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Richmond Counties, Virginia.

Sets forth requirements for submission of a tribal membership roll and governing documents.

Requires the Secretary to take into trust for the Tribe's benefit any other land within such counties the Tribe transfers to the Secretary.

Provides that no land taken into trust for the Tribe's benefit shall be considered Indian lands for the purpose of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Latest Action: 05/25/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1148-1149)

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Expressing support for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and urging the United States Ambassador to the United Nations General Assembly to adopt without amendment the Declaration as approved by the United Nations Human Rights Council on June 29, 2006. 5/23/2007--Introduced. States that: (1) Congress finds that the relationship between the United States and the indigenous peoples of the United States, the United States Tribal Nations, grounded in the Constitution and implemented through Indian treaties, federal statutes, and policies, may be considered a model by other countries in recognizing the rights of self-determination and self-governance; (2) the interests of tribal nations may be further advanced and protected by adoption of such rights as U.S. policy; and (3) Congress recommends that the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. General Assembly support the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples when it comes before the General Assembly during their fall [...]

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Latest Action: 02/05/2008 - Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Dorgan without amendment. With written report No. 110-260.

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A bill to express the policy of the United States regarding the United States relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a process for the recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity. 2/5/2008--Reported to Senate without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007 - (Sec. 4) Reaffirms that: (1) the United States has a special political and legal relationship with Native Hawaiians; and (2) Native Hawaiians have the right to autonomy in their internal affairs, to self-determination and self-governance, to reorganize a Native Hawaiian governing entity, and to become economically self-sufficient.(Sec. 5) Establishes the U.S. Office for Native Hawaiian Relations within the Office of the Secretary of the Interior.(Sec.[...]

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Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 09/08/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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A bill to authorize the expansion of the Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, Texas, and for other purposes.
Latest Action: 07/14/2008 - Committee on Appropriations. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Dorgan. With written report No. 110-416.

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An original bill making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 7/14/2008--Reported to Senate without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2009 - Title I: Corps of Engineers-Civil - Makes FY2009 appropriations for: (1) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for civil functions pertaining to rivers and harbors, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, and aquatic ecosystem restoration; (2) general investigations and construction; (3) flood damage reduction for the Mississippi River alluvial valley below Cape Girardeau, Missouri; (4) operation and maintenance expenses; (5) administration of laws pertaining to regulation of navigable waters and wetlands; (6) cleanup of contamination from sites in the United States resulting from work performed as part of the early atomic energy [...]

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Latest Action: 06/27/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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A bill to promote the energy security of the United States, and for other purposes. 6/27/2008--Introduced. Energy Transition Act of 2008 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to modify requirements governing publication and uses of projected state lines on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Authorizes a state governor to petition the Secretary of Energy to make available for oil and gas leasing any moratorium area within the offshore administrative boundaries beyond the submerged land of a state that is located greater than 50 miles from the state coastline (new producing areas). Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) to repeal the prohibition against producing oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Sets forth an oil and gas leasing program for the Alaskan Coastal Plain, including the Refuge. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management,[...]

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Latest Action: 10/02/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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To authorize the expansion of the Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, Texas, and for other purposes.

6/4/2008--Introduced.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior acquire additional acreage to increase the size of the Fort Davis National Historic Site near the town of Fort Davis, Texas, by acquiring certain land from willing sellers.

Latest Action: 10/03/2008 - Presented to President.

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To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve the financial assistance provided to State, local, and tribal governments for information sharing activities, and for other purposes. 5/20/2008--Introduced. Personnel Reimbursement for Intelligence Cooperation and Enhancement of Homeland Security Act or PRICE of Homeland Security Act - Amends Homeland Security Act of 2002 provisions concerning the use of funds to allow recipients of grants under provisions relating to the Urban Area Security Initiative or to the State Homeland Security Grant Program to use grant funds to achieve and sustain (currently, to achieve) target capabilities related to preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism, consistent with a state homeland security plan and relevant local, tribal, and regional homeland security plans. Permits such aims to be met, among other ways, by paying intelligence analysts: (1) regardless of whether the analysts are current [...]

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Latest Action: 04/30/2008 - Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the co

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To establish the Mark O. Hatfield Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Foundation, and for other purposes. 4/30/2008--Introduced. Mark O. Hatfield Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Act of 2008 - Establishes as an independent executive branch entity the Mark O. Hatfield Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Foundation, to be located in Portland, Oregon. Requires the Foundation to: (1) develop resources to train Native American and Alaska Native tribal council members in self-government and related fields; (2) foster greater recognition and understanding of the role of tribal self-government in the development of the United States; (3) identify critical issues facing tribal governments; (4) establish a program for tribal governance research at the Institute for Tribal Government at Portland State University; and (5) provide educational outreach regarding tribal self-government. Authorizes the Foundation to award: (1) scholarships to [...]

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Latest Action: 04/30/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

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A bill to establish the Mark O. Hatfield Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Foundation and for other purposes. 4/30/2008--Introduced. Mark O. Hatfield Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Act of 2008 - Establishes as an independent executive branch entity the Mark O. Hatfield Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Foundation, to be located in Portland, Oregon. Requires the Foundation to: (1) develop resources to train Native American and Alaska Native tribal council members in self-government and related fields; (2) foster greater recognition and understanding of the role of tribal self-government in the development of the United States; (3) identify critical issues facing tribal governments; (4) establish a program for tribal governance research at the Institute for Tribal Government at Portland State University; and (5) provide educational outreach regarding tribal self-government. Authorizes the Foundation to award: (1) scholarships [...]

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Latest Action: 04/15/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

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To require the Secretary of the Interior to notify units of local government when a Native American group files a petition to become a federally recognized Indian tribe and before the decision on the petition is made, and for other purposes. 4/15/2008--Introduced. Requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to notify certain local governments: (1) within 60 days after a petition is filed requesting that a tribe be recognized, acknowledged, or reacknowledged as a federally recognized Indian tribe; (2) within 30 days after enactment of this Act regarding pending petitions; and (3) 90 days before a decision on a petition is announced.Describes a local government to be notified as a local city, parish, or county government located within a 25-mile radius of land that would be taken into trust for or transferred to, or for which jurisdiction would be given to, a tribe pursuant to such a petition.Prohibits Secretary from taking [...]

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Latest Action: 09/25/2008 - Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Dorgan with amendments. With written report No. 110-504.

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To amend certain laws relating to Native Americans, and for other purposes. 6/18/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make annual disbursements to the Colorado River Indian Tribes to fund the Office of the Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation Energy Development. Requires that such disbursements be not less than $200,000, and not more than $350,000 annually. Provides for the inclusion of binding arbitration clauses in construction contracts for the Gila River Indian Community.Authorizes the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Michigan to transfer, lease, encumber, or convey any part of its interest in real property that is not held in trust by the United States for its benefit. Absolves the United States from liability for any loss resulting from a transfer of real property by the Tribe. Makes this provision retroactive to January 1, 2005.Authorizes the Morongo [...]

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Latest Action: 04/09/2008 - Committee Hearings Held.

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To establish regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration with tribal officials in the development of Federal policies that have tribal implications, to strengthen the United States government-to-government relationships with Indian tribes, and to reduce the imposition of unfunded mandates upon Indian tribes. 3/13/2008--Introduced. Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments Act - Requires the Department of the Interior, the Indian Health Service, and the National Indian Gaming Commission, when formulating, amending, implementing, or rescinding policies that have tribal implications, to adhere to certain fundamental principles and policymaking criteria, including that the United States: (1) has a unique legal and political relationship with Indian tribal governments; (2) recognizes the right of Indian tribes to self government; and (3) shall encourage Indian tribes to develop their own policies to meet program objectives. Prohibits such entities [...]

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