S. 2735: Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025, primarily aims to facilitate the transfer of specific federal lands in California into trust for the benefit of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. Here are the main components of the bill:

Revocation of Previous Land Order

The bill revokes a previous public land order (Public Land Order 3309 from January 17, 1964) which currently governs the land in question. This action transfers jurisdiction of the land to the Secretary of the Interior.

Land Trust Transfer

Within 180 days of the bill's enactment, the Secretary is required to place approximately:

• 80 acres of land depicted as "BLM Land–Proposed Transfer into Trust"
• 185 acres of land depicted as "Indian Creek Ranch–Proposed Transfer into Trust Land Status"

into trust for the Tribe, ensuring these lands are held for their benefit.

Review and Survey

Before the lands are taken into trust, the Secretary must conduct a review to assess the need for a survey of the land. If a survey is deemed necessary, the Secretary will perform the survey and may correct any minor errors in the legal description of the lands.

Administrative Responsibilities

The lands taken into trust will be considered part of the Tribe's reservation and will be administered according to laws and regulations that apply to property held in trust for Indian tribes by the United States.

Restrictions on Use of Land

Importantly, the bill stipulates that the transferred land cannot be used for any class II or class III gaming activities under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. This means that the Tribe will not have the authority to operate gaming establishments on these lands.

Definitions

The bill includes definitions for important terms such as:

• Map: Refers to a specific map prepared by the Bureau of Land Management showing the proposed land transfer.
• Reservation: Refers to the reservation of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.
• Secretary: Denotes the Secretary of the Interior.
• Tribe: Refers specifically to the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle Springs Rancheria.

Timeline

The process outlined in the bill requires certain actions to be completed within specific time frames, particularly the trust transfer which is mandated to occur within 180 days after the bill is enacted.

Relevant Companies

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