S 2676
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2676
To make technical corrections to the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 28, 2008
Mr. VITTER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs
A BILL
To make technical corrections to the Indian Gaming Regulatory
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 `Common Sense Indian Gambling Reform Act
of 2008'.
SEC. 2. CONSULTATION WITH STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS.
Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2719) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the
following:
`(2) the Indian tribe has no reservation as of October 17, 1988, and
the land is located in the State of Oklahoma and--
`(A) is within the boundaries of the former reservation of the Indian
tribe, as defined by the Secretary; or
`(B) is contiguous to other land held in trust or restricted status
by the United States for the benefit of the Indian tribe in the
State of Oklahoma.';
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (3) and
(4), respectively;
(B) in paragraph (4) (as redesignated by subparagraph (A)), by striking
`paragraph (2)(B)' and inserting `paragraph (3)(B)'; and
(C) by striking `(b)(1) Subsection' and all that follows through
clause (iii) of paragraph (1)(B) and inserting the following:
`(A) EFFECT ON COMMUNITY- Subject to subparagraph (B) and paragraph
(2), subsection (a) shall not apply to Indian lands for which the
Secretary, after consultation with the Indian tribe and officials
of all State, local, and tribal governments that have jurisdiction
over land located within 60 miles of the Indian lands, determines
that a gaming establishment on that land--
`(i) would be in the best interest of the Indian tribe and its
members; and
`(ii) taking into consideration the results of a study of the
economic impact of the gaming establishment, would not have a
negative economic impact, or any other negative effect, on any
unit of government, business, community, or Indian tribe located
within 60 miles of the land.
`(B) CONCURRENCE OF AFFECTED STATE- For a determination of the Secretary
under subparagraph (A) to become valid, the Governor and legislative
body of the State in which a gaming activity is proposed to be conducted
shall concur in the determination.
`(C) EFFECT OF PARAGRAPH- This paragraph shall not apply to any
land on which a gaming facility is in operation as of the date of
enactment of the Common Sense Indian Gambling Reform Act of 2008.
`(A) IN GENERAL- The land described in paragraph (1) shall be land--
`(i) within a State in which the Indian tribe is primarily located,
as determined by the Secretary; and
`(ii) on which the primary geographic, social, and historical
nexus to land of the Indian tribe is located, as determined in
accordance with subparagraph (B).
`(B) DETERMINATION- For purposes of subparagraph (A), a geographic,
social, and historical nexus to land of an Indian tribe shall exist
with respect to land that is--
`(i)(I) owned by, or held in trust by the United States for the
benefit of, an Indian tribe;
`(II) located within the boundaries of--
`(aa) the geographical area, as designated by the Secretary,
in which financial assistance and social service programs are
provided to the Indian tribe, including land on or contiguous
to a reservation; or
`(bb) the geographical area designated by the Indian tribe during
the Federal acknowledgment process of the Indian tribe as the
area in which more than 50 percent of the members of the Indian
tribe reside in a group composed exclusively or almost exclusively
of members of the Indian tribe; and
`(III) located within the geographical area in which the Indian
tribe demonstrates that the Indian tribe has historically resided,
as determined by the Secretary; or
`(I) in a State other than the State of Oklahoma; and
`(II) within the boundaries of the last recognized reservation
of the Indian tribe in any State in which the Indian tribe is
located as of the date on which a determination under this subparagraph
is made.';
(3) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and
(e), respectively; and
(4) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
`(c) Contiguous Land Requirement- Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Act, an Indian tribe shall conduct any gaming activity subject
to regulation under this Act on 1 contiguous parcel of Indian lands.'.
SEC. 3. TRIBAL GAMING ORDINANCES.
Section 11 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2710) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking `, and' and inserting a semicolon;
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting
`; and'; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
`(C) the class II gaming is conducted--
`(i) on lands that were Indian lands before the date of enactment
of this subparagraph; or
`(ii) on land taken into trust for the benefit of the Indian tribe
after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, but only if
the application of the Indian tribe requesting that the land be
taken into trust for the benefit of the Indian tribe stated the
intent of the Indian tribe to conduct class II gaming activities
on the land.'; and
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) in clause (i), by striking `such lands,' and inserting `the
Indian lands;';
(II) in clause (ii), by striking `, and' and inserting `; and';
and
(III) in clause (iii), by striking the comma at the end and
inserting a semicolon;
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking `, and' and inserting a
semicolon;
(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and
inserting `; and'; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
`(i) on lands that were Indian lands before the date of enactment
of this subparagraph; or
`(ii) on land taken into trust for the benefit of the Indian tribe
after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, but only if
the application of the Indian tribe requesting that the land be
taken into trust for the benefit of the Indian tribe stated the
intent of the Indian tribe to conduct class III gaming activities
on the land.'; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
`(10) DEFINITION OF STATE- In this subsection, the term `State' means
the Governor of the State and the legislative body of the State.'.
SEC. 4. INVESTIGATION AND APPROVAL.
(a) Powers of the Chairman- Section 6(a) of the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act (25 U.S.C. 2705(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking `and' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and inserting
`; and'; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
`(5) approve or disapprove the involvement in a gaming activity subject
to regulation by the Commission of any 1 of the 10 persons or entities
that have the highest financial interest in the gaming activity, as
identified by the Commission under section 7(b)(3)(A).'.
(b) Powers of the Commission- Section 7(b) of the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act (25 U.S.C. 2706(b)) is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting `shall have
the authority' after `Commission';
(2) in paragraphs (1), (2), and (10), by striking `shall' each place
it appears and inserting `to';
(3) in paragraph (2), by striking `is conducted' and inserting `or
class III gaming is conducted to ensure compliance with this Act (including
regulations promulgated pursuant to paragraph (10))';
(4) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
`(3)(A) to identify the 10 persons or entities that have the highest
financial interest (including outstanding loans, debt-based financing,
and other financial interests) in each gaming activity subject to
regulation by the Commission; and
`(B) to conduct a background investigation of--
`(i) each of the persons and entities identified under subparagraph
(A); and
`(ii) any other person or entity, as the Commission determines to
be appropriate;';
(5) in paragraphs (4) through (9), by striking `may' each place it
appears and inserting `to';
(6) in paragraph (4), by inserting `and class III gaming' after `class
II gaming'; and
(7) in paragraph (10), by inserting `, including regulations to address
minimum internal control standards for class II gaming and class III
gaming' after `this Act'.
(c) Tribal Gaming Ordinances- Section 11(b)(2)(F) of the Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2710(b)(2)(F)) is amended by striking clause
(i) and inserting the following:
`(I) a background investigation will be conducted by the Commission
on--
`(aa) each tribal gaming commissioner;
`(bb) key tribal gaming employees, as determined by the Commission;
`(cc) primary management officials; and
`(dd) key employees of the gaming enterprise; and
`(II) oversight of the individuals described in subclause (I)
will be conducted on an ongoing basis; and'.
(d) Commission Funding- Section 18(a)(2)(B) of the Indian Gaming Regulatory
Act (25 U.S.C. 2717(a)(2)(B)) is amended--
(1) by indenting the subparagraph appropriately; and
(2) by striking `0.080 percent' and all that follows through the end
of the subparagraph and inserting `$16,000,000.'.
SEC. 5. CHANGING USE OF INDIAN LANDS.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 21 through 24 as sections 22 through
25, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 20 the following:
`SEC. 21. CHANGING USE OF INDIAN LANDS.
`Before an Indian tribe uses any Indian lands for purposes of class
II gaming or class III gaming, the Indian tribe shall--
`(1) submit to the Secretary an environmental impact statement that
the Secretary determines to be in accordance with the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) relating to that use;
and
`(2) obtain the consent of the Secretary with respect to the change
in use of the Indian lands.'.
SEC. 6. EFFECT OF ACT.
This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall not affect any
compact or other agreement relating to gaming subject to regulation
under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) in existence
on the date of enactment of this Act.
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