H.R. 5820 — Mono Lake Kootzaduka’a Tribe Recognition Act

This section defines key terms for purposes of the Act, including (1) “member” as an individual enrolled in the Tribe pursuant to the Tribe’s constitution; (2) “Secretary” as the Secretary of the Interior; and (3) “Tribe” as the Mono Lake Kootzaduka’a Tribe.

This section extends federal recognition to the Tribe. All federal laws (including regulations) of general application to Indians and Indian tribes—including the Indian Reorganization Act—apply to the Tribe and its members, except as otherwise provided in this Act.

This section provides eligibility for all federal services and benefits available to Indians and federally recognized Indian tribes (e.g., Bureau of Indian Affairs programs, Indian Health Service) to the Tribe and its members, without regard to the existence of a tribal reservation or members' residence on or near a reservation. The section designates Mono and Inyo Counties in California as the Tribe's service area for delivery of such services and benefits.

This section (1) reaffirms all preexisting rights and privileges of the Tribe and its members; (2) preserves the Tribe's legal and equitable claims to enforce any rights or privileges reserved by or granted to it that were wrongfully denied or taken prior to enactment, except as otherwise provided in the Act; and (3) grants the Tribe hunting and fishing rights on all federal lands within its aboriginal land area, requiring each administering federal agency to accommodate those rights within its existing land use plans, federal law, and regulations.

This section requires the Tribe, as a condition of receiving federal recognition, services, and benefits, to submit to the Secretary a membership roll consisting of each enrolled member's name by not later than 18 months after enactment. Membership qualifications are determined in accordance with section (a) of Article III of the Tribe's constitution dated June 23, 2003, and the Tribe must maintain the roll.

This section directs the Secretary of the Interior to (1) identify Bureau of Land Management land in that portion of Mono County within the Tribe’s ancestral homelands sufficient for tribal government administration and services, economic development, and housing; and (2) accept such land into trust for the benefit of the Tribe upon the Tribe’s request. For purposes of land acquisitions under section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act (25 U.S.C. 5108), the Tribe is deemed to have been under federal jurisdiction in 1934.