The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“MAKING CERTAIN TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS IN LAWS RELATING TO NATIVE AMERICANS” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the Senate section on pages S18250-S18251 on Dec. 7, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MAKING CERTAIN TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS IN LAWS RELATING TO NATIVE
AMERICANS
Mr. HELMS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 1431 and further that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report.
A bill (S. 1431) to make certain technical corrections in laws relating to Native Americans, and for other purposes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate consideration of the bill?
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, I rise to urge the Senate to pass S. 1431, a noncontroversial, no-cost bill whose sole purpose is to extend statutory deadlines for completing two Indian water rights settlements previously enacted and funded by the Congress. The authorizations for the Yavapai-Prescott and San Carlos Apache Water Rights settlements are set to expire on December 31, 1995.
This bill's two sections are identical to two of the 22 provisions in S. 325, which the Senate passed by unanimous consent on October 31, 1995. Because it appeared doubtful that the House and Senate could complete action on S. 325 by the end of the year, I introduced this separate bill on November 28, 1995, when it was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. I believe it is necessary to pass these two time-sensitive provisions as separate legislation so that the House can act before the end of this session.
Section 1 of S. 1431 would extend by 6 months the deadline for completing the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 1994. Under the original Act, the Secretary of the Interior is required to publish in the Federal Register by December 31, 1995, a statement of findings that includes a finding that contracts for the assignment of Central Arizona Project water have been executed. Due to several unforeseen developments, the Department of the Interior, the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe, the City of Prescott and the City of Scottsdale have concluded that additional time is necessary to finalize agreements and publish the Secretary's findings in the Federal Register. Accordingly, the amendment extends the deadline for completion of the settlement to June 30, 1996.
Section 2 of the bill amends the San Carlos Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 1992 to extend by one year the deadline for the settlement parties to complete all actions needed to effect the settlement, in particular to conclude agreements between the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Phelps-Dodge Corporation, and between the Tribe and the Town of Globe. This amendment would extend the deadline for settlement to December 31, 1996. The Department of the Interior, the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the other settlement parties all support this extension.
Madam President, it is extremely important for Congress to provide additional time to complete these historic settlements. The San Carlos Apache and Yavapai-Prescott agreements are the product of years of painstaking negotiation and effort by many parties. No one, and especially not the United States, would benefit from a lapse in the statutory authority for completing these settlements. Without the time extensions contained in S. 1431, the many fruits of these collective efforts could be lost. We simply cannot permit that to happen. I urge passage of the bill.
Mr. HELMS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be deemed read the third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table and that any statements relating to the bill be placed at the appropriate place in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
So the bill (S. 1431) was deemed read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 1431
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION. 1. YAVAPAI-PRESCOTT INDIAN TRIBE WATER RIGHTS
SETTLEMENT ACT OF 1994.
Section 112(b) of the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 1994 (108 Stat. 4532) is amended by striking ``December 31, 1995'' and inserting ``June 30, 1996''.
SEC. 2. SAN CARLOS APACHE TRIBE WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT ACT
OF 1992.
Section 3711(b)(1) of the San Carlos Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 1992 (title XXXVII of Public Law 102-575) is amended by striking ``December 31, 1995'' and inserting ``December 31, 1996''.
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