To direct the Secretary of the Interior to take into trust for the benefit of the San Felipe Pueblo certain Federal land in Sandoval County, New Mexico, and for other purposes.
Introduced in HouseSep 24, 2024

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to take into trust for the benefit of the San Felipe Pueblo certain Federal land in Sandoval County, New Mexico, and for other purposes.

12 sections · 1 min read

Section 1. Definitions

In this Act:

(1) Federal land

The term Federal land means the approximately 7,167 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management designated as Proposed Conveyance—San Felipe Pueblo on the map.

(2) Map

The term map means the map titled Ball Ranch ACEC & Additional BLM Land and dated October 26, 2018.

(3) Pueblo

The term Pueblo means the San Felipe Pueblo in Sandoval County, New Mexico.

(4) Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

(a) In general

The Secretary shall take the Federal land into trust for the benefit of the Pueblo.

(b) Easements

After the Federal land is taken into trust pursuant to subsection (a), the following conditions shall continue to apply to the Federal land:

(1) A perpetual easement shall allow for an access road of approximately 1.8 miles to the Baca Family inholding on the Federal land to the same extent as such access road existed on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2) Subject to agreement with the Pueblo, a perpetual easement to allow federally recognized Indian Tribes to access and be on the conveyed Federal land in order to access cultural sites and for cultural and religious practices on the Federal land.

(3) A requirement that the Pueblo maintain the access road referred to in paragraph (1) to the same engineering standards that the Bureau of Land Management was required to maintain such road on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c) Grazing

Any lease, permit, or contract for grazing on the Federal land that is in effect on the date that the Federal land is taken into trust under subsection (a) shall continue for the remainder of the term and subject to the terms and conditions of the grazing lease, permit, or contract and all applicable laws and regulations.

(d) Gaming prohibited

Land taken into trust under subsection (a) shall not be used for any class II gaming or class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) (as those terms are defined in section 4 of that Act (25 U.S.C. 2703)).

to ask questions about this bill.