Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- S. 2735
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Native Americans
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-20: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-21T11:03:37Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025 aims to transfer specific federal lands in California into trust status for the benefit of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians (the Tribe). This process places the land under federal protection for tribal use, expanding the Tribe's reservation without allowing gambling activities on it.
Key Provisions
- Revocation and Transfer of Jurisdiction: The Act revokes Public Land Order 3309 (issued in 1964), which previously managed certain lands. It transfers jurisdiction over these lands to the Secretary of the Interior.
- Land into Trust: Within 180 days of enactment, the Secretary must place approximately 80 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and 185 acres known as Indian Creek Ranch into trust for the Tribe, subject to any existing legal rights (like leases or permits).
- Review and Survey: The Secretary must review the land to check if a survey is needed. If required, a survey will be conducted, with minor corrections allowed for errors. The final survey will be publicly available at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office.
- Reservation Status and Administration: The transferred land becomes part of the Tribe's existing reservation and will be managed by the Secretary under standard federal laws for trust lands held for Native American tribes (trust lands are federally owned properties protected for tribal benefit).
- Gaming Restriction: The land cannot be used for Class II or Class III gaming (types of gambling regulated under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, such as bingo or casino games).
- Definitions: Key terms include the "Map" (a specific BLM map dated May 2, 2025), "Reservation" (the Tribe's land holdings), "Secretary" (Secretary of the Interior), and "Tribe" (Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle Springs Rancheria, California).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Revokes a 1964 public land order that had reserved the land for federal management, shifting control from BLM to the Secretary of the Interior for tribal trust purposes.
- Introduces a mandatory timeline (180 days) for placing the land into trust, which streamlines the process compared to typical discretionary trust acquisitions under the Indian Reorganization Act (a 1934 law allowing the federal government to take land into trust for tribes).
- Explicitly prohibits gaming on the new trust land, overriding potential allowances under gaming laws unless further authorized.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The BLM loses administrative control over the transferred lands, while the BIA gains responsibility for managing them as trust property, potentially requiring resource shifts within the Department of the Interior.
- Citizens and Tribes: The Tribe gains expanded reservation land for cultural, economic, or community purposes (excluding gaming), enhancing self-determination and land base. Local non-tribal residents may see minor changes in land access or use, but existing rights are protected.
- International Relations: No direct impacts, as this is a domestic matter involving U.S. federal and tribal lands.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians: Primary beneficiary, gaining trust land to support tribal sovereignty and development.
- U.S. Department of the Interior (including BLM and BIA): Responsible for revocation, transfer, surveying, and ongoing administration.
- Local Communities in California: Potentially affected by changes in land use near the Shingle Springs Rancheria in El Dorado County, though impacts are limited due to the gaming ban and protection of existing rights.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces federal trust responsibility to Native American tribes under the U.S. Constitution (which recognizes tribes as domestic dependent nations) and statutes like the Indian Reorganization Act. The gaming prohibition ensures compliance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act by preventing new casino developments.
- Constitutional: Supports tribal sovereignty by adding to reservation lands, a protected aspect of federal Indian law, without infringing on state authority over non-trust lands.
- Political: As a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Padilla and Schiff, it highlights congressional support for targeted tribal land restorations, potentially setting a precedent for similar transfers while addressing concerns about gaming expansion through explicit restrictions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-20: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- 2025-12-17: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.
- 2025-09-08: Referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6403)
- 2025-09-08: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025 — issued 2025-09-08 — PDF (4 pages)