25 U.S.C. § 1724 – Maine Indian Claims Settlement and Land Acquisition Funds in the United States Treasury

(a) Establishment of Maine Indian Claims Settlement Fund; amount There is hereby established in the United States Treasury a fund to be known as the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Fund in which $27,000,000 shall be deposited following the appropriation of sums authorized by section 1733 of this title.
(b) Apportionment of settlement fund; administration; investments; limitation on distributions; quarterly investment income payments; expenditures for aged members; cessation of trust responsibility following Federal payments
1. (1) One-half of the principal of the settlement fund shall be held in trust by the Secretary for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, and the other half of the settlement fund shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Penobscot Nation. Each portion of the settlement fund shall be administered by the Secretary in accordance with reasonable terms established by the Passamaquoddy Tribe or the Penobscot Nation, respectively, and agreed to by the Secretary: Provided, That the Secretary may not agree to terms which provide for investment of the settlement fund in a manner not in accordance with section 162a of this title, unless the respective tribe or nation first submits a specific waiver of liability on the part of the United States for any loss which may result from such an investment: Provided, further, That until such terms have been agreed upon, the Secretary shall fix the terms for the administration of the portion of the settlement fund as to which there is no agreement.
2. (2) Under no circumstances shall any part of the principal of the settlement fund be distributed to either the Passamaquoddy Tribe or the Penobscot Nation, or to any member of either tribe or nation: Provided, however, That nothing herein shall prevent the Secretary from investing the principal of said fund in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection.
3. (3) The Secretary shall make available to the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation in quarterly payments, without any deductions except as expressly provided in section 1725(d)(2) of this title and without liability to or on the part of the United States, any income received from the investment of that portion of the settlement fund allocated to the respective tribe or nation, the use of which shall be free of regulation by the Secretary. The Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation annually shall each expend the income from $1,000,000 of their portion of the settlement fund for the benefit of their respective members who are over the age of sixty. Once payments under this paragraph have been made to the tribe or nation, the United States shall have no further trust responsibility to the tribe or nation or their members with respect to the sums paid, any subsequent distribution of these sums, or any property or services purchased therewith.
(c) Establishment of Maine Indian Claims Land Acquisition Fund; amount There is hereby established in the United States Treasury a fund to be known as the Maine Indian Claims Land Acquisition Fund in which $54,500,000 shall be deposited following the appropriation of sums authorized by section 1733 of this title.
(d) Apportionment of land acquisition fund; expenditures for acquisition of land or natural resources; trust acreage; fee holdings; interests in corpus of trust for Houlton Band following termination of Band’s interest in trust; agreement for acquisitions for benefit of Houlton Band: scope, report to Congress The principal of the land acquisition fund shall be apportioned as follows:
1. (1) $900,000 to be held in trust for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians;
2. (2) $26,800,000 to be held in trust for the Passamaquoddy Tribe; and
3. (3) $26,800,000 to be held in trust for the Penobscot Nation.
The Secretary is authorized and directed to expend, at the request of the affected tribe, nation or band, the principal and any income accruing to the respective portions of the land acquisition fund for the purpose of acquiring land or natural resources for the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and for no other purpose. The first 150,000 acres of land or natural resources acquired for the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the first 150,000 acres acquired for the Penobscot Nation within the area described in the Maine Implementing Act as eligible to be included within the Passamaquoddy Indian Territory and the Penobscot Indian Territory shall be held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the respective tribe or nation. The Secretary is also authorized to take in trust for the Passamaquoddy Tribe or the Penobscot Nation any land or natural resources acquired within the aforesaid area by purchase, gift, or exchange by such tribe or nation. Land or natural resources acquired outside the boundaries of the aforesaid areas shall be held in fee by the respective tribe or nation, and the United States shall have no further trust responsibility with respect thereto. Land or natural resources acquired within the State of Maine for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians shall be held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the band: Provided, That no land or natural resources shall be so acquired for or on behalf of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians without the prior enactment of appropriate legislation by the State of Maine approving such acquisition: Provided further, That the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation shall each have a one-half undivided interest in the corpus of the trust, which shall consist of any such property or subsequently acquired exchange property, in the event the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians should terminate its interest in the trust.
1. (4) The Secretary is authorized to, and at the request of either party shall, participate in negotiations between the State of Maine and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians for the purpose of assisting in securing agreement as to the land or natural resources to be acquired by the United States to be held in trust for the benefit of the Houlton Band. Such agreement shall be embodied in the legislation enacted by the State of Maine approving the acquisition of such lands as required by paragraph (3). The agreement and the legislation shall be limited to:
  1. (A) provisions providing restrictions against alienation or taxation of land or natural resources held in trust for the Houlton Band no less restrictive than those provided by this subchapter and the Maine Implementing Act for land or natural resources to be held in trust for the Passamaquoddy Tribe or Penobscot Nation;
  2. (B) provisions limiting the power of the State of Maine to condemn such lands that are no less restrictive than the provisions of this subchapter and the Maine Implementing Act that apply to the Passamaquoddy Indian Territory and the Penobscot Indian Territory but not within either the Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation or the Penobscot Indian Reservation;
  3. (C) consistent with the trust and restricted character of the lands, provisions satisfactory to the State and the Houlton Band concerning:
    1. (i) payments by the Houlton Band in lieu of payment of property taxes on land or natural resources held in trust for the band, except that the band shall not be deemed to own or use any property for governmental purposes under the Maine Implementing Act;
    2. (ii) payments of other fees and taxes to the extent imposed on the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation under the Maine Implementing Act, except that the band shall not be deemed to be a governmental entity under the Maine Implementing Act or to have the powers of a municipality under the Maine Implementing Act;
    3. (iii) securing performance of obligations of the Houlton Band arising after the effective date of agreement between the State and the band.
  4. (D) provisions on the location of these lands.
  Except as set forth in this subsection, such agreement shall not include any other provisions regarding the enforcement or application of the laws of the State of Maine. Within one year of October 10, 1980, the Secretary is directed to submit to the appropriate committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate having jurisdiction over Indian affairs a report on the status of these negotiations.
(e) Acquisitions contingent upon agreement as to identity of land or natural resources to be sold, purchase price and other terms of sale; condemnation proceedings by Secretary; other acquisition authority barred for benefit of Indians in State of Maine Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 3113 and 3114(a) to (d) of title 40, the Secretary may acquire land or natural resources under this section from the ostensible owner of the land or natural resources only if the Secretary and the ostensible owner of the land or natural resources have agreed upon the identity of the land or natural resources to be sold and upon the purchase price and other terms of sale. Subject to the agreement required by the preceding sentence, the Secretary may institute condemnation proceedings in order to perfect title, satisfactory to the Attorney General, in the United States and condemn interests adverse to the ostensible owner. Except for the provisions of this subchapter, the United States shall have no other authority to acquire lands or natural resources in trust for the benefit of Indians or Indian nations, or tribes, or bands of Indians in the State of Maine.
(f) Expenditures for Tribe, Nation, or Band contingent upon documentary relinquishment of claims The Secretary may not expend on behalf of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, or the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians any sums deposited in the funds established pursuant to the subsections (a) and (c) of this section unless and until he finds that authorized officials of the respective tribe, nation, or band have executed appropriate documents relinquishing all claims to the extent provided by sections 1723, 1730, and 1731 of this title and by section 6213 of the Maine Implementing Act, including stipulations to the final judicial dismissal with prejudice of their claims.
(g) Transfer limitations of section 177 of this title inapplicable to Indians in State of Maine; restraints on alienation as provided in section; transfers invalid ab initio except for: State and Federal condemnations, assignments, leases, sales, rights-of-way, and exchanges
1. (1) The provisions of section 177 of this title shall not be applicable to (A) the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, or the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians or any other Indian, Indian nation, or tribe or band of Indians in the State of Maine, or (B) any land or natural resources owned by or held in trust for the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, or the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians or any other Indian, Indian nation or tribe or band of Indians in the State of Maine. Except as provided in subsections (d)(4) and (g)(2), such land or natural resources shall not otherwise be subject to any restraint on alienation by virtue of being held in trust by the United States or the Secretary.
2. (2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, any transfer of land or natural resources within Passamaquoddy Indian Territory or Penobscot Indian Territory, except (A) takings for public uses consistent with the Maine Implementing Act, (B) takings for public uses pursuant to the laws of the United States, or (C) transfers of individual Indian use assignments from one member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe or Penobscot Nation to another member of the same tribe or nation, shall be void ab initio and without any validity in law or equity.
3. (3) Land or natural resources within the Passamaquoddy Indian Territory or the Penobscot Indian Territory or held in trust for the benefit of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians may, at the request of the respective tribe, nation, or band, be—
  1. (A) leased in accordance with sections 415 to 415d of this title;
  2. (B) leased in accordance with sections 396a to 396g of this title;
  3. (C) sold in accordance with section 407 of this title;
  4. (D) subjected to rights-of-way in accordance with sections 323 to 328 of this title;
  5. (E) exchanged for other land or natural resources of equal value, or if they are not equal, the values shall be equalized by the payment of money to the grantor or to the Secretary for deposit in the land acquisition fund for the benefit of the affected tribe, nation, or band, as the circumstances require, so long as payment does not exceed 25 per centum of the total value of the interests in land to be transferred by the tribe, nation, or band, and
  6. (F) sold, only if at the time of sale the Secretary has entered into an option agreement or contract of sale to purchase other lands of approximate equal value.
(h) Agreement on terms for management and administration of land or natural resources Land or natural resources acquired by the Secretary in trust for the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation shall be managed and administered in accordance with terms established by the respective tribe or nation and agreed to by the Secretary in accordance with section 450f of this title, or other existing law.
(i) Condemnation of trust or restricted land or natural resources within Reservations: substitute land or monetary proceeds as medium of compensation; condemnation of trust land without Reservations: use of compensation for reinvestment in trust or fee held acreage, certification of acquisitions; State condemnation proceedings: United States as necessary party, exhaustion of State administrative remedies, judicial review in Federal courts, removal of action
1. (1) Trust or restricted land or natural resources within the Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation or the Penobscot Indian Reservation may be condemned for public purposes pursuant to the Maine Implementing Act. In the event that the compensation for the taking is in the form of substitute land to be added to the reservation, such land shall become a part of the reservation in accordance with the Maine Implementing Act and upon notification to the Secretary of the location and boundaries of the substitute land. Such substitute land shall have the same trust or restricted status as the land taken. To the extent that the compensation is in the form of monetary proceeds, it shall be deposited and reinvested as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection.
2. (2) Trust land of the Passamaquoddy Tribe or the Penobscot Nation not within the Passamaquoddy Reservation or Penobscot Reservation may be condemned for public purposes pursuant to the Maine Implementing Act. The proceeds from any such condemnation shall be deposited in the land acquisition fund established by subsection (c) and shall be reinvested in acreage within unorganized or unincorporated areas of the State of Maine. When the proceeds are reinvested in land whose acreage does not exceed that of the land taken, all the land shall be acquired in trust. When the proceeds are invested in land whose acreage exceeds the acreage of the land taken, the respective tribe or nation shall designate, with the approval of the United States, and within thirty days of such reinvestment, that portion of the land acquired by the reinvestment, not to exceed the area taken, which shall be acquired in trust. The land not acquired in trust shall be held in fee by the respective tribe or nation. The Secretary shall certify, in writing, to the Secretary of State of the State of Maine the location, boundaries, and status of the land acquired.
3. (3) The State of Maine shall have initial jurisdiction over condemnation proceedings brought under this section. The United States shall be a necessary party to any such condemnation proceedings. After exhaustion of all State administrative remedies, the United States is authorized to seek judicial review of all relevant matters in the courts of the United States and shall have an absolute right of removal, at its discretion, over any action commenced in the courts of the State.
(j) Federal condemnation under other laws; deposit and reinvestment of compensatory proceeds When trust or restricted land or natural resources of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, or the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians are condemned pursuant to any law of the United States other than this subchapter, the proceeds paid in compensation for such condemnation shall be deposited and reinvested in accordance with subsection (i)(2) of this section.

(Pub. L. 96–420, § 5, Oct. 10, 1980, 94 Stat. 1788.)

Codification

“Sections 3113 and 3114(a) to (d) of title 40” substituted in subsec. (e) for “section 1 of the Act of August 1, 1888 (25 Stat. 357), as amended, and section 1 of the Act of February 26, 1931 (46 Stat. 1421)” on authority of Pub. L. 107–217, § 5(c), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1303, the first section of which enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works.

Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Supplementary Claims Settlement

Pub. L. 99–566, Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3184, provided:

“That this Act may be cited as the ‘Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Supplementary Claims Settlement Act of 1986’.
“definitions“Sec. 2. For purposes of this Act—“(1) The term ‘Houlton Band Tax Fund’ means the fund established under section 3. “(2) The term ‘Houlton Band trust land’ means land or natural resources acquired by the Secretary of the Interior and held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians in accordance with section 5(d) of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (25 U.S.C. 1724(d); 94 Stat. 1789). “(3) The term ‘amended Maine Implementing Act’ means the Maine Implementing Act (defined in section 3(e) of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (25 U.S.C. 1722(e); 94 Stat. 1787)) as amended by—“(A) the ‘Act to amend the Maine Implementing Act with respect to the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians’, enacted by the State of Maine in chapter 675 of the Public Laws of 1981, and “(B) the State of Maine in chapter 672 of the Public Laws of 1985. “(4) The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of the Interior. “(5) The term ‘Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians’ has the meaning given to such term by section 3(a) of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (25 U.S.C. 1722(a)).
“houlton band tax fund“Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established in the United States Treasury a fund to be known as the Houlton Band Tax Fund in which shall be deposited $200,000 in accordance with the provisions of this Act. “(b)(1) Income accrued on the land acquisition fund established for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians pursuant to subsections (c) and (d)(1) of section 5 of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (25 U.S.C. 1724; 94 Stat. 1789) shall be transferred to the Houlton Band Tax Fund. No transfer shall be made under this subsection if such transfer would diminish such land acquisition fund to a balance of less than $900,000. “(2) Whenever funds are transferred to the Houlton Band Tax Fund pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall publish notice of such transfer in the Federal Register. Such notice shall specify when the full amount of $200,000 has been transferred to the Houlton Band Tax Fund. “(c) The Secretary shall manage the Houlton Band Tax Fund in accordance with the first section of the Act of June 24, 1938 (25 U.S.C. 162a), and shall utilize the principal and interest of such Fund only as provided in subsection (d) and for no other purpose. “(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 3727 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary shall pay out of the Houlton Band Tax Fund all valid claims for taxes, payments in lieu of property taxes, and fees, together with any interest and penalties thereon—“(1) for which the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians are determined to be liable under the terms of section 6208–A(2) of the amended Maine Implementing Act, “(2) which are final and not subject to further administrative or judicial review, and “(3) which have been certified by the Commissioner of Finance and Administration of the State of Maine as valid claims (within the meaning of section 6208–A(2) of the amended Maine Implementing Act) that meet the requirements of this subsection. “(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if—“(1) the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians is liable to the State of Maine or any county, district, municipality, city, town, village, plantation, or any other political subdivision thereof for any tax, payment in lieu of property tax, or fees, together with any interest or penalties thereon, and “(2) there are insufficient funds in the Houlton Band Tax Fund to pay such tax, payment, or fee (together with any interest or penalties thereon) in full, the deficiency shall be paid by the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians only from income-producing property owned by such Band which is not held in trust for such Band by the United States, and such Band shall not be required to pay such tax, payment, or fee (or any interest or penalty thereon) from any other source. “(f) The Secretary shall, after consultation with the Commissioner of Finance and Administration of the State of Maine and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, prescribe written procedures governing the filing and payment of claims under this section and section 6208–A of the amended Maine Implementing Act.
“houlton band trust land“Sec. 4. (a) Subject to the provisions of section 3 of this Act, the Secretary is authorized and directed to expend, at the request of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the principal of, and income accruing on, the land acquisition fund established for such Band under subsections (c) and (d)(1) of section 5 of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (25 U.S.C. 1724; 94 Stat. 1789) for the purposes of acquiring land or natural resources for such Band and for no other purpose. Land or natural resources so acquired within the State of Maine for such Band shall be held in trust by the United States for the benefit of such Band. “(b)(1) Land or natural resources acquired with funds expended under the authority of subsection (a) and held in trust for the benefit of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians may be alienated only by—“(A) takings for public use pursuant to the laws of the State of Maine as provided in subsection (c), “(B) takings for public use pursuant to the laws of the United States, “(C) transfers authorized by section 5(g)(3) of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (25 U.S.C. 1724(g)(3); 94 Stat. 1791), or “(D) transfers made pursuant to an Act or joint resolution of Congress. All other transfers of land or natural resources acquired with funds expended under the authority of subsection (a) and held in trust for the benefit of such Band shall be void ab initio and without any validity in law or equity. “(2) The provisions of paragraph (1) shall not prohibit or limit transfers of individual use assignments of land or natural resources from one member of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians to another member of such Band. “(c)(1) Land or natural resources acquired with funds expended under the authority of subsection (a) and held in trust for the benefit of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians may be condemned for public purposes by the State of Maine, or any political subdivision thereof, only upon such terms and conditions as shall be agreed upon in writing between the State and such Band after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 27, 1986]. “(2) The consent of the United States is hereby given to the State of Maine to further amend the amended Maine Implementing Act for the purpose of embodying the agreement described in paragraph (1). “(d)(1) Lands and natural resources may be acquired by the Secretary for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians only if the Secretary has, at any time prior to such acquisition—“(A) transmitted a letter to the Secretary of State of the State of Maine stating that the Houlton Band Tax Fund contains $200,000, and “(B) provided the Secretary of State of the State of Maine with a copy of the procedures for filing and payment of claims prescribed under section 3(f). “(2)(A) No land or natural resources may be acquired by the Secretary for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians until the Secretary—“(i) files with the Secretary of State of the State of Maine a certified copy of the deed, contract, or other conveyance setting forth the location and boundaries of the land or natural resources to be acquired by the Secretary, or “(ii) files with the Secretary of State of the State of Maine a certified copy of any instrument setting forth the location and boundaries of the land or natural resources to be acquired. “(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Maine may be made by mail and, if such method of filing is used, shall be considered to be completed on the date on which the document is properly mailed to the Secretary of State of the State of Maine.”