Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3857) to take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Jamul Indian Village of California, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: S. 3857

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 ``Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act''. SEC. 2. TRUST LAND FOR THE JAMUL INDIAN VILLAGE OF CALIFORNIA.

(a) In General.--The approximately 172.10 acres of land described in subsection (b) is held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Jamul Indian Village of California.

(b) Land Descriptions.--The land referred to in subsection (a) is the following:

(1) Parcel 1.--The parcels of land totaling approximately 161.23 acres, located in San Diego County, California, that are held in fee by the Jamul Indian Village of California, as legally described in Document No. 2022-0010260 in the Official Records of the Office of the Recorder, San Diego County, California, and recorded January 7, 2022.

(2) Parcel 2.--The parcel of land totaling approximately 6 acres, located in San Diego County, California, that is held in fee by the Jamul Indian Village of California, as legally described in Document No. 2021-0540770 in the Official Records of the Office of the Recorder, San Diego County, California, and recorded July 29, 2021.

(3) Parcel 3.--The parcel of land totaling approximately 4.03 acres, located in San Diego County, California, as legally described in Document No. 1998-0020339 in the Official Records of the Office of the Recorder, San Diego County, California, and recorded January 15, 1998.

(4) Parcel 4.--The parcel of land comprised of approximately 0.84 acres, located in San Diego County, California, as legally described in Document No. 2017-0410384 in the Official Records of the Office of the Recorder, San Diego County, California, and recorded September 7, 2017.

(c) Additional Trust Acquisition.--The Secretary of the Interior shall accept title in and to, and place into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Jamul Indian Village of California, the land depicted as ``Proposed 1.1. acres'' on the map of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife entitled ``Amended Acres Proposal'' and dated May 2023 if that land is conveyed or otherwise transferred to the United States by, or on behalf of, the Jamul Indian Village of California.

(d) Administration.--Land taken into trust under subsections (a) and (c) shall be--

(1) part of the reservation of the Jamul Indian Village of California; and

(2) administered in accordance with the laws and regulations generally applicable to property held in trust by the United States for the benefit of an Indian Tribe.

(e) Gaming Prohibited.--Land described in subsections (b) and (c) 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)).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. 3857, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3857, the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act, which would place approximately 173 acres of land into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Jamul Indian Village.

The Jamul Indian Village is located in San Diego County and is part of the Kumeyaay people of southern California, otherwise known as the Mission Indians.

While the Tribe's history dates back 12,000 years, they only received Federal recognition in 1981. The Tribe's reservation consists of approximately 6.04 acres, but the Tribe has continued to work to restore its land base.

This legislation would place certain parcels into trust for the Tribe's benefit. The legislation also would prohibit Class 2 or Class 3 gaming on the parcels placed into trust consistent with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) for his work on the House companion to this legislation that passed the House earlier this year.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage adoption of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this legislation would take approximately 173 acres of land into trust for the Jamul Indian Village for the benefit of the Tribe.

I again thank Mr. Issa for his hard work on behalf of his constituents. I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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