[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2554 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2554
To provide for the recognition of certain Alaska Native communities and
the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 30, 2025
Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Sullivan) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the recognition of certain Alaska Native communities and
the settlement of certain claims under the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Alaska Native Landless Equity Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to redress the omission of the
southeastern Alaska communities of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg,
Tenakee, and Wrangell from eligibility under the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) by authorizing the Alaska
Natives enrolled in the communities--
(1) to form Urban Corporations for the communities of
Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell under the
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.);
and
(2) to receive certain settlement land pursuant to that
Act.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF ADDITIONAL NATIVE CORPORATIONS.
Section 16 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C.
1615) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Native Villages of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee,
and Wrangell, Alaska.--
``(1) In general.--The Native residents of each of the
Native Villages of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and
Wrangell, Alaska, may organize as Urban Corporations.
``(2) Effect on entitlement to land.--Nothing in this
subsection affects any entitlement to land of any Native
Corporation established before the date of enactment of this
subsection pursuant to this Act or any other provision of
law.''.
SEC. 4. SHAREHOLDER ELIGIBILITY.
Section 8 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C.
1607) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Native Villages of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee,
and Wrangell.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall enroll to each of
the Urban Corporations for Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg,
Tenakee, or Wrangell those individual Natives who enrolled
under this Act to the Native Villages of Haines, Ketchikan,
Petersburg, Tenakee, or Wrangell, respectively.
``(2) Number of shares.--Each Native who is enrolled to an
Urban Corporation for Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee,
or Wrangell pursuant to paragraph (1) and who was enrolled as a
shareholder of the Regional Corporation for Southeast Alaska
shall receive 100 shares of Settlement Common Stock in the
respective Urban Corporation.
``(3) Natives receiving shares through inheritance.--If a
Native received shares of stock in the Regional Corporation for
Southeast Alaska through inheritance from a decedent Native who
originally enrolled to the Native Village of Haines, Ketchikan,
Petersburg, Tenakee, or Wrangell and the decedent Native was
not a shareholder in a Village Corporation or Urban
Corporation, the Native shall receive the identical number of
shares of Settlement Common Stock in the Urban Corporation for
Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, or Wrangell as the
number of shares inherited by that Native from the decedent
Native who would have been eligible to be enrolled to the
respective Urban Corporation.
``(4) Effect on entitlement to land.--Nothing in this
subsection affects any previous or future allocation of acreage
to any Regional Corporation pursuant to section 12(b) or
14(h)(8).''.
SEC. 5. DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS.
Section 7 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C.
1606) is amended--
(1) in subsection (j)--
(A) in the third sentence, by striking ``In the
case'' and inserting the following:
``(3) Thirteenth regional corporation.--In the case'';
(B) in the second sentence, by striking ``Not
less'' and inserting the following:
``(2) Minimum allocation.--Not less'';
(C) by striking ``(j) During'' and inserting the
following:
``(j) Distribution of Corporate Funds and Other Net Income.--
``(1) In general.--During''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Native villages of haines, ketchikan, petersburg,
tenakee, and wrangell.--Native members of the Native Villages
of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell who
become shareholders in an Urban Corporation for such a Native
Village shall continue to be eligible to receive distributions
under this subsection as at-large shareholders of the Regional
Corporation for Southeast Alaska.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(s) Effect of Amendatory Act.--The Alaska Native Landless Equity
Act and the amendments made by that Act shall not affect--
``(1) the ratio for determination of revenue distribution
among Native Corporations under this section; or
``(2) the settlement agreement among Regional Corporations
or Village Corporations or other provisions of subsection (i)
or (j).''.
SEC. 6. COMPENSATION.
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 43. URBAN CORPORATIONS FOR HAINES, KETCHIKAN, PETERSBURG,
TENAKEE, AND WRANGELL.
``(a) Definition of Urban Corporation.--In this section, the term
`Urban Corporation' means each of the Urban Corporations for Haines,
Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell.
``(b) Conveyances of Land.--
``(1) Authorization.--
``(A) Conveyances to urban corporations.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to valid
existing rights and paragraphs (3), (4), (5),
and (6), the Secretary shall convey--
``(I) to the Urban Corporation for
Haines, in accordance with clause (ii),
the surface estate in 13 parcels of
Federal land comprising approximately
23,040 acres, as generally depicted on
the maps entitled `Haines Selections',
numbered 1 through 3, and dated June
27, 2025;
``(II) to the Urban Corporation for
Ketchikan, the surface estate in 8
parcels of Federal land comprising
approximately 23,040 acres, as
generally depicted on the maps entitled
`Ketchikan Selections', numbered 1
through 4, and dated June 27, 2025;
``(III) to the Urban Corporation
for Petersburg, the surface estate in
12 parcels of Federal land comprising
approximately 23,040 acres, as
generally depicted on the maps entitled
`Petersburg Selections', numbered 1
through 3, and dated June 27, 2025;
``(IV) to the Urban Corporation for
Tenakee, the surface estate in 15
parcels of Federal land comprising
approximately 23,040 acres, as
generally depicted on the maps entitled
`Tenakee Selections', numbered 1
through 3, and dated June 27, 2025; and
``(V) to the Urban Corporation for
Wrangell, the surface estate in 13
parcels of Federal land comprising
approximately 23,040 acres, as
generally depicted on the maps entitled
`Wrangell Selections', numbered 1
through 5, and dated June 27, 2025.
``(ii) Haines phases; conditions.--
``(I) Conveyance phases.--The
conveyance to the Urban Corporation for
Haines under clause (i)(I) in the
selection area at Slate Creek, Berners
Bay, as generally depicted on the map
entitled `Haines Selections', map 2 of
3, and dated June 27, 2025 (referred to
in this subclause as the `Map'), shall
be completed in the following 2 phases:
``(aa) Phase 1.--The
Secretary shall convey to the
Urban Corporation for Haines
the parcel of Federal land
comprising approximately 81
acres, as generally depicted on
the Map as `Slate Ck. West
Shore'.
``(bb) Phase 2.--Subject to
the conditions described in
subclause (II), and on an
application for conveyance by
the Urban Corporation for
Haines, the Secretary shall
convey to the Urban Corporation
for Haines--
``(AA) the parcel
of Federal land
comprising
approximately 37 acres,
as generally depicted
on the Map as `Slate
Ck. West Shore North';
and
``(BB) the parcel
of Federal land
comprising
approximately 55 acres,
as generally depicted
on the Map as `Slate
Ck. East Shore'.
``(II) Phase 2 conditions.--The
phase 2 conveyance described in
subclause (I)(bb) shall occur on the
earliest of the date on which--
``(aa) the Federal mining
claims underlying the Federal
land described in that
subclause are relinquished;
``(bb) the Federal mining
claims underlying the Federal
land described in that
subclause are abandoned, on a
determination by the Secretary
that the Federal mining claims
are void and forfeited; and
``(cc) Coeur Mining (or a
successor in interest) consents
that the Federal land described
in that subclause can be
conveyed prior to any
relinquishment or abandonment
of the Federal mining claims
underlying that land.
``(B) Conveyances to regional corporation for
southeast alaska.--Subject to valid existing rights, on
the applicable date on which the surface estate in land
is conveyed to an Urban Corporation under subparagraph
(A)(i), the Secretary shall convey to the Regional
Corporation for Southeast Alaska the subsurface estate
for that land.
``(C) Congressional intent.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii),
it is the intent of Congress that the Secretary
complete the interim conveyance of the surface
estate in land to an Urban Corporation under
subparagraph (A)(i) not later than the date
that is 2 years after the applicable date of
incorporation of the Urban Corporation under
section 16(e)(1).
``(ii) Exception.--As the Secretary
determines to be necessary, the Secretary may
extend the 2-year deadline established by
clause (i) by not more than 1 year for any
individual parcel of land to allow for the
conclusion of any pending appeal of a public
easement decision for the applicable parcel
pursuant to section 17(b), subject to the
requirement that the final conveyance of the
surface estate with respect to the applicable
parcel shall be completed as soon as
practicable after the date on which the appeal
is concluded.
``(D) Finalization of entitlement.--
``(i) In general.--The conveyances under
subparagraph (A)(i) shall be considered to be
the full and final satisfaction of the
entitlement of the southeastern Alaska
communities of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg,
Tenakee, and Wrangell under this Act,
notwithstanding whether the surveyed acreage of
the parcels of land described in subclauses (I)
through (V) of that subparagraph is less than
or more than 23,040 acres in the case of each
Urban Corporation, subject to the requirement
that the surveyed acreage shall be not less
than 23,020 acres and not more than 23,060
acres.
``(ii) Adjustments.--If the total surveyed
acreage of land conveyed to an Urban
Corporation under subparagraph (A)(i) is less
than 23,020 acres or more than 23,060 acres,
the Secretary, the Secretary of Agriculture,
and the Urban Corporation shall negotiate in
good faith to make a mutually agreeable
adjustment to the parcels of Federal land
described in subclauses (I) through (V) of that
subparagraph to ensure that not less than and
not more than 23,040 acres of land is conveyed
to the Urban Corporation.
``(2) Withdrawal.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to valid existing
rights, the Federal land described in paragraph (1) is
withdrawn from all forms of--
``(i) entry, appropriation, or disposal
under the public land laws;
``(ii) location, entry, and patent under
the mining laws; and
``(iii) disposition under all laws
pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or
mineral materials.
``(B) Termination.--The withdrawal under
subparagraph (A) shall remain in effect until the date
on which the Federal land is conveyed under paragraph
(1).
``(3) Treatment of land conveyed.--Except as otherwise
provided in this section, any land conveyed to an Urban
Corporation under paragraph (1)(A)(i)--
``(A)(i) shall be considered to be land conveyed by
the Secretary under paragraph (3) of section 14(h); but
``(ii) shall not be subject to the requirements
under that section that the land be vacant,
unappropriated, and unreserved; and
``(B) shall be subject to all laws (including
regulations) applicable to entitlements under section
14(h)(3), including section 907(d) of the Alaska
National Interest Lands Conservation Act (43 U.S.C.
1636(d)).
``(4) Public easements.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (C), the
conveyance and patents for the land under paragraph
(1)(A)(i) shall be subject to the reservation before
the conveyance of public easements under section 17(b).
``(B) Termination.--No public easement reserved on
land conveyed under paragraph (1)(A)(i) shall be
terminated by the Secretary without publication of
notice of the proposed termination in the Federal