118THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 423
AN ACT
To take certain land located in San Diego County, California,
into trust for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission
Indians, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 2
•HR 423 EH
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pala Band of Mission 2
Indians Land Transfer Act of 2023’’. 3
SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF LAND IN TRUST FOR THE PALA BAND 4
OF MISSION INDIANS. 5
(a) T
RANSFER ANDADMINISTRATION.— 6
(1) T
RANSFER OF LANDS INTO TRUST .—If, not 7
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 8
of this Act, the Tribe transfers title to the land re-9
ferred to in subsection (b) to the United States, the 10
Secretary, not later than 180 days after such trans-11
fer, shall take that land into trust for the benefit of 12
the Tribe. 13
(2) A
DMINISTRATION.—The land transferred 14
under paragraph (1) shall be part of the Pala Indian 15
Reservation and administered in accordance with the 16
laws and regulations generally applicable to land 17
held in trust by the United States for an Indian 18
Tribe. 19
(b) L
ANDDESCRIPTION.—The land referred to in 20
subsection (a)(1) is the approximately 721.12 acres of 21
land located in San Diego County, California, generally 22
depicted as ‘‘Gregory Canyon Property Boundary’’ on the 23
map titled ‘‘Pala Gregory Canyon Property Boundary and 24
Parcels’’. 25 3
•HR 423 EH
(c) RULES OFCONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 1
shall— 2
(1) enlarge, impair, or otherwise affect any 3
right or claim of the Tribe to any land or interest 4
in land that is in existence before the date of the en-5
actment of this Act; 6
(2) affect any water right of the Tribe in exist-7
ence before the date of the enactment of this Act; 8
or 9
(3) terminate or limit any access in any way to 10
any right-of-way or right-of-use issued, granted, or 11
permitted before the date of the enactment of this 12
Act. 13
(d) R
ESTRICTEDUSE OFTRANSFERREDLANDS.— 14
The Tribe may not conduct, on the land taken into trust 15
for the Tribe pursuant to this Act, gaming activities— 16
(1) as a matter of claimed inherent authority; 17
or 18
(2) under any Federal law, including the Indian 19
Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) 20
and regulations promulgated by the Secretary or the 21
National Indian Gaming Commission under that 22
Act. 23
(e) D
EFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section: 24 4
•HR 423 EH
(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 1
the Secretary of the Interior. 2
(2) T
RIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the Pala 3
Band of Mission Indians. 4
Passed the House of Representatives February 6,
2023.
Attest:
Clerk. 118
TH
CONGRESS
1
ST
S
ESSION
H. R. 423
AN ACT
To take certain land located in San Diego County,
California, into trust for the benefit of the Pala
Band of Mission Indians, and for other purposes.