SCIA Passes Two Bills Regarding Oregon Tribes During Committee Business Meeting

Statement

Today, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), passed the following two bills at a business meeting of the committee:

· S. 817, a bill to provide for the addition of certain real property to the reservation of the Siletz Tribe in the state of Oregon (introduced by Senator Ron Wyden [D-OR]); and

· S. 818, a bill to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to make technical corrections, and for other purposes (introduced by Senator Ron Wyden [D-OR]).

During the business meeting, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the SCIA, highlighted what the legislation intended to accomplish. "These two bills authorize the secretary of Interior to treat certain trust land applications of these tribes as on-reservation applications," said Chairman Barrasso. "They will also make the trust land acquired under these bills a part of the tribes' reservations."

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