S. 1468: To amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Alexander Creek, Incorporated, is recognized as a Village Corporation under that Act, and for other purposes.

This bill proposes to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, specifically to recognize Alexander Creek, Incorporated as a Village Corporation. Here are the key components of the bill summarized in layman's terms:

Recognition of Alexander Creek, Incorporated

The bill stipulates that:

• Alexander Creek, Incorporated will officially be designated as a Village Corporation starting from the date the bill is enacted. Prior to this, it was classified as a Group Corporation.
• Alexander Creek village, referring to the community in a specific geographic area in Alaska, will be recognized as a Native village under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

Organizational Changes

After the bill's enactment, Alexander Creek, Incorporated is required to:

• Submit any necessary changes to its corporate charter to align with its new status as a Village Corporation, which may include amendments to its founding documents.

Settlement Negotiations

The bill mandates that the Secretary of the Interior initiate negotiations with Alexander Creek, Incorporated within 30 days to resolve:

• Claims related to aboriginal land.
• Any other claims the corporation may have against the United States.

This agreement should aim to be fair and equitable, similar to agreements reached by other Village Corporations.

Federal Property and Resources

Under this bill, Alexander Creek, Incorporated will have special considerations regarding federal property:

• Coordination with federal agencies to manage surplus property that may be transferred to the corporation.
• It will be treated as a State and a State agency for certain legal purposes, allowing it to access surplus real property.

Changes in Payment Distribution

All members of the Alexander Creek village will be informed that:

• They will stop receiving benefits as at-large shareholders and will now receive their future payments for resources directly from Alexander Creek, Incorporated.

Furthermore, the Region will not be liable for any claims or damages related to the cessation of these payments.

Land Entitlements

The bill clarifies that:

• Nothin in this bill modifies existing land entitlements or agreements between other Village Corporations, the Federal Government, or the State pertaining to land conveyance.
• The land entitlement for Alexander Creek, Incorporated, as it existed before this bill, will remain unchanged.

Implementation Timeline

The bill requires that these changes and the associated settlement negotiations be implemented within a specified timeframe post-enactment.

Relevant Companies

None found