An Act To amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Village Corporations shall not be required to convey land in trust to the State of Alaska for the establishment of Municipal Corporations, and for other purposes.

July 7, 2025 [H.R. 43]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa­tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

43 USC 1601 note.

This Act may be cited as the “Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025”.

SEC. 2. REVERSION OF CERTAIN LAND CONVEYED IN TRUST TO THE STATE OF ALASKA.

Section 14(c) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1613(c)) is amended—

1. (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as subparagraphs (A) through (E), respectively, and indenting appropriately;

2. (2) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), by striking “(c) Each patent” and inserting the following:

   1. “(c) Conveyance of Certain Land by Village Corporation.—

      1. “(1) In general.— Each patent”

   ;

3. (3) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), in the undesignated matter following subparagraph (E) (as so redesignated), in the first sentence—

   1. (A) by striking “section 14(c) of this Act” and inserting “this subsection”; and

   2. (B) by striking “There is authorized” and inserting the following:

      1. “(2) Technical assistance.—

         1. “(A) In general.— There are authorized”

      ;

4. (4) in paragraph (2)(A) (as so redesignated), in the second sentence, by striking “The Secretary” and inserting the following:

   1. “(B) Form of funding.— The Secretary”

   ; and

5. (5) in paragraph (1) (as so designated)—

   1. (A) in each of subparagraphs (A) and (B) (as so redesignated)—

      1. (i) by striking “the” the first place it appears and inserting “The”; and
      2. (ii) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting a period;
   2. (B) in subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated), by striking “the” the first place it appears and inserting “The”;^{139 STAT. 404}

   3. (C) by striking “existed as of” in subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated) and all that follows through “for” in subparagraph (E) (as so redesignated) and inserting the following:

      “existed as of December 18, 1971.

      1. “(E) For”

      ; and

   4. (D) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesignated)—

      1. (i) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting a period;

      2. (ii) by striking “in trust: Provided, however,That the word” and all that follows through “sentence,” and inserting the following:

         “in trust.

         1. “(II) Definition of sale.— For purposes of subclause (I), the term ‘sale’ ”

         ;

      3. (iii) by striking “one thousand two hundred and eighty acres: Provided further,That any net” and inserting the following:

         “1,280 acres.

         1. “(iii) Net revenues.—

            1. “(I) In general.— Any net”

         ;

      4. (iv) by striking “community needs: Provided,That the” and inserting the following:

         “community needs.

         1. “(ii) Minimum acreage.— The”

         ;

      5. (v) by striking “(C) the Village Corporation” and inserting the following:

         1. “(C) Conveyance to municipal corporation or the state in trust.—

            1. “(i) In general.— The Village Corporation”

         ; and

      6. (vi) by adding at the end the following:

         1. “(iv) Cases in which conveyance shall not be required.—

            1. “(I) In general.— Notwithstanding any other provision of this subparagraph, if a Village Corporation, prior to the date of enactment of the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025, conveyed to the State in trust all or a portion of the acreage of land required to be conveyed under this subparagraph for the establishment of a Municipal Corporation in the future, and a Municipal Corporation has not been established as of that date of enactment, on formal resolution by the Village Corporation and the residents of the Native village requesting dissolution of the trust, the trust shall be dissolved and title to the land shall revert to the Village Corporation, subject to subclause (III).
            2. “(II) Additional land.— Notwithstanding any other provision of this subparagraph, as of the date of enactment of the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025, a Village Corporation shall not be required to convey any additional land in trust under this subparagraph for the establishment of a Municipal Corporation in the future.

            3. “(III) Requirements.— In accordance with subsection (g)—

               1. “(aa) the reversion of land to a Village Corporation pursuant to subclause (I) shall be subject to—^{139 STAT. 405}

                  1. “(AA) valid existing rights created by the applicable trust; and
                  2. “(BB) any existing easements, rights-of-way necessary for public roadway access, or rights-of-way for access of holders of valid existing rights; and
               2. “(bb) the Village Corporation shall assume the obligations of the applicable trust with respect to any lease or other use agreement applicable to the land on reversion of the land to the Village Corporation pursuant to subclause (I).”

         .

Approved July 7, 2025.