The publication is reproduced in full below:
BLACKWATER TRADING POST LAND TRANSFER ACT
Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 478) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to take certain land located in Pinal County, Arizona, into trust for the benefit of the Gila River Indian Community, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 478
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Blackwater Trading Post Land Transfer Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Blackwater trading post land.--The term ``Blackwater Trading Post Land'' means the approximately 55.3 acres of land as depicted on the map that--
(A) is located in Pinal County, Arizona, and bordered by Community land to the east, west, and north and State Highway 87 to the south; and
(B) is owned by the Community.
(2) Community.--The term ``Community'' means the Gila River Indian Community of the Reservation.
(3) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Results of Survey, Ellis Property, A Portion of the West \1/2\ of Section 12, Township 5 South, Range 7 East, Gila and Salt River Meridian, Pinal County, Arizona'' and dated October 15, 2012.
(4) Reservation.--The term ``Reservation'' means the land located within the exterior boundaries of the reservation created under sections 3 and 4 of the Act of February 28, 1859 (11 Stat. 401, chapter LXVI), and Executive orders of August 31, 1876, June 14, 1879, May 5, 1882, November 15, 1883, July 31, 1911, June 2, 1913, August 27, 1914, and July 19, 1915, and any other lands placed in trust for the benefit of the Community.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 3. LAND TAKEN INTO TRUST FOR BENEFIT OF THE GILA RIVER
INDIAN COMMUNITY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall take the Blackwater Trading Post land into trust for the benefit of the Community, after the Community--
(1) conveys to the Secretary all right, title, and interest of the Community in and to the Blackwater Trading Post Land;
(2) submits to the Secretary a request to take the Blackwater Trading Post Land into trust for the benefit of the Community;
(3) conducts a survey (to the satisfaction of the Secretary) to determine the exact acreage and legal description of the Blackwater Trading Post Land, if the Secretary determines a survey is necessary; and
(4) pays all costs of any survey conducted under paragraph
(3).
(b) Availability of Map.--Not later than 180 days after the Blackwater Trading Post Land is taken into trust under subsection (a), the map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Secretary.
(c) Lands Taken Into Trust Part of Reservation.--After the date on which the Blackwater Trading Post Land is taken into trust under subsection (a), the land shall be treated as part of the Reservation.
(d) Gaming.--Class II and class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) shall not be allowed at any time on the land taken into trust under subsection (a).
(e) Description.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall cause the full metes-and-bounds description of the Blackwater Trading Post Land to be published in the Federal Register. The description shall, on publication, constitute the official description of the Blackwater Trading Post Land.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 478, introduced by our colleague, Representative
Tom O'Halleran from Arizona, authorizes the United States to place 55.3 acres of historically and culturally significant land into trust on behalf of the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona.
This parcel of land is commonly referred to as the Blackwater Trading Post Land, because it once contained the Ellis family's Blackwater Trading Post which sold goods to members of the Gila River Indian Community since the 1930s.
After purchasing the trading post in 2010, the community found around 1,000 cultural artifacts on the property, including 126 Akimel O'odham baskets. Following this discovery, the community decided to apply to take the parcel of land into trust.
However, legislation is required for this exchange, as the community's 2004 water settlement explicitly requires that any lands located outside of the community's reservation boundaries be taken into trust through congressional action.
Passage of H.R. 478 will ultimately allow the community to preserve a piece of their heritage by incorporating this contiguous parcel of land into its reservation land base.
Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representative O'Halleran for his work on this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 478, the Blackwater Trading Post Land Transfer Act. This bill will place approximately 55 acres of land in Pinal County, Arizona, into trust for the Gila River Indian Community. According to the Tribe, these lands and the former Blackwater Trading Post have a historical connection to the Tribe, as the trading post served many Tribal members since at least the 1930s. In 2010, the Tribe purchased the Blackwater Trading Post and surrounding lands after the former owners retired.
Pursuant to the 2004 Arizona Water Rights Settlement Act, the Gila River Tribe cannot acquire off-reservation lands into trust absent an act of Congress.
Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SOTO. In closing, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation for the Gila River Community of Arizona, as corrected. I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) who knows the State very well.
I urge support of the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona's incorporation of this additional land. I thank Representative O'Halleran for his leadership and the bipartisan support of the ranking member, Mr. Westerman from Arkansas.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 478.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mrs. GREENE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion are postponed.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 82
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up