Legislation’s next stop is the President’s desk

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) issued the following statement today after the United States Senate passed the Nevada Native Nations Land Act:

“Approval by the Senate was the final hurdle to clear for the Nevada Native Nations Land Act. I’m proud this important bipartisan legislation empowering Nevada’s tribal leaders to make important decisions affecting their communities will soon become law. The entire Nevada delegation came together to advance this legislation through both chambers of Congress. I’m very excited to see the Nevada Native Nations Land Act make its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law,” said Senator Dean Heller. 

BACKGROUND:

The Nevada Native Nations Land Act conveys more than 71,000 acres of land currently administered by the federal government over to six federally recognized tribes in Nevada to expand housing, provide economic development opportunities and promote cultural activities. Nearly every acre of this land is currently managed by either the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service.  The six tribes that benefit from this legislation are the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, the Shoshone Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, the Summit Lake Paiute, and the Ft. McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe.

Senator Heller, Senator Reid, and Congressman Amodei have worked to advance the Nevada Native Nations Lands Act for the past two Congresses. The Senators navigated S.1436 through the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on October 21, 2015 and to Senate passage on April 14, 2016. Nevada Congressmen Mark Amodei, Joe Heck, and Cresent Hardy introduced the House companion (H.R.2733), and navigated it to House-passage on June 7, 2016. Today’s Senate vote on the bill was the final step necessary to send the bill to the President’s desk for signature.

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