The House Resources Committee is holding a hearing this morning on H.R.4893, a bill to amend Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California), makes it harder to acquire lands for off-reservation gaming. It eliminates the two-part determination process and blocks tribes with reservations from acquiring non-reservation lands for gaming.

For newly recognized, restored, or landless tribes, the bill requires them to demonstrate "geographic, social, historical, and temporal" ties to the lands they seek. The state governor and legislature must concur with the proposal and the tribe must pay for a local referendum.

The bill adds an entirely new section to IGRA that allows one tribe to lease its land to another tribe for gaming. This was written with two southern California tribes in mind.

The witness list for the hearing follows:

Panel I
John Shagonaby, Treasurer
Match-E-Be-Nash-E-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Gun Lake Tribe

Donald Arnold
Chairman, Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians

Jacquie Davis-Van Huss
Secretary, North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California

Lorraine White, Chief, St. Regis Mohawk Tribe

Panel II
Michigan State Representative Fulton Sheen, Representing 23 is Enough!

Illinois Representative JoAnn D. Osmond

Steven Worthley, Tulare County Member, Indian Gaming Working Group, California State Association of Counties

Randy King, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Shinnecock Indian Nation

The hearing starts at 11am in Room 1324 of the Longworth House Office Building. It will be broadcast online at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov