A bill to reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Lytton Rancheria of California, and for other purposes.
Key claim: The bill reaffirms that the Indian Reorganization Act applies to the Lytton Rancheria of California and authorizes the Department of the Interior to take land into trust for the tribe as part of its reservation.
Abstract
(S748 · 119th Congress) This bill applies the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) to the Lytton Rancheria of California. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to acquire and take land into trust for the benefit of the tribe under the IRA. Land taken into trust shall be part of the tribe’s reservation. A 2009 Supreme Court case, Carcieri v. Salazar , decided that Interior could not take land into trust for a specified tribe because that tribe had not been under federal jurisdiction when the IRA was enacted in 1934. This bill (1) affirms the applicability of the IRA to the Lytton Rancheria of California, thereby deeming the tribe to be under federal jurisdiction as of June 18, 1934, for purposes of the IRA; and (2) authorizes Interior to take land into trust for the benefit of the tribe. Latest action (2025-12-16): Held at the desk.
Why this matters
Tribe-specific IRA reaffirmation bills like S748 shape how much land can be brought into federal trust status, which in turn determines jurisdiction, taxation, and permissible housing and economic development on tribal lands. For builders and tribal housing authorities, trust status affects leasing authority, lender access, and land use control; the piecemeal legislative approach to Carcieri fixes leaves the broader tribal land base subject to case-by-case congressional action.