James Hill: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 700 would remove a revenue distribution restriction created in Public Law 86-339, a 1959 statute which…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 700 would remove a revenue distribution restriction created in Public Law 86-339, a 1959 statute which related in part to the distribution of certain revenues to 85 members of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The 1959 act exempted lands known as the Mineral Springs lots from an allotment process which had been developed to distribute the band's public lands to individual members. The Mineral Springs lots were set apart and designated as tribal reserves. Revenues generated by the Mineral Springs lots were designated in the 1959 act to be used to offset inequities in the allotments to 85 members of the band and their heirs created by the withdrawal of the Mineral Springs lots from the allotment process. H.R. 700 would endorse a 1996 ordinance enacted by the band which would compensate those members of the band, or their heirs, entitled to a cash payment or equalization allotment in satisfaction of the requirements of the 1959 act. The amount of the compensation for each of the 85 members, $22,000, has been placed into escrow by the band. The provisions of H.R. 700 will take effect on or after the date of the distribution of the aforementioned compensation to the 85 members of the band. This is a fair and equitable bill. It will have no impact on the Federal budget, contains no intergovernmental or private sector mandates, and would impose no costs on State, local, or tribal governments.”