House Natural Resources Committee sets markup on Indian bills

• H.R.329, the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Consolidation Act. The bill addresses the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992, commonly known as Public Law 477, by increasing tribal control over grant programs that are designed to address high unemployment rates in Indian Country. House Subcommittee Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs took testimony on the bill on April 14, 2015.
• H.R.2009, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Land Conveyance Act. The bill authorizes a land transfer between the federal government, the Tucson Unified School District and to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona. It places about 39.65 acres in trust for the tribe. The subcommittee held a hearing on November 4, 2015.
• H.R.2733, the Nevada Native Nations Lands Act. The bill places land in trust for the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe, the Shoshone Paiute Tribes, the Summit Lake Paiute Tribe, the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe. The subcommittee took testimony on July 15, 2015.
• H.R.3211, a bill to address land-into-trust issues for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in Oregon. Any land acquired by the tribe within the original 1855 Siletz Coast Reservation will be considered a part of the current reservation if the measure becomes law.