Senate Committee Considers “Carcieri Fix”

This week, Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs, held a hearing on several bills affecting Indian lands, including a bill to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s Carcieri v. Salazar decision. Three years ago, the Carcieri decision put a halt to the U.S. Department of the Interior taking land into trust for Tribes that were not recognized before 1934. 

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) testified in support of a fix that would allow for lands to be taken into trust regardless of when the Tribe was recognized, and not be encumbered with other issues such as notification and consultation of affected local governments. RCRC has long supported an improved fee-to-trust process that includes mandatory local government involvement, and does not support any “fix” to the Carcieri process that does not include this consideration.

For more information, please contact RCRC Legislative Advocate Cyndi Hillery at (916) 447-4806 orchillery@rcrcnet.org.