[Pages H445-H447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ALASKA NATIVE VILLAGE MUNICIPAL LANDS RESTORATION ACT OF 2025

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 43) 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.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 43

       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 ``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) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as 
     subparagraphs (A) through (E), respectively, and indenting 
     appropriately;
       (2) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so 
     redesignated), by striking ``(c) Each patent'' and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(c) Conveyance of Certain Land by Village Corporation.--
       ``(1) In general.--Each patent'';
       (3) in paragraph (1) (as so designated), in the 
     undesignated matter following subparagraph (E) (as so 
     redesignated), in the first sentence--
       (A) by striking ``section 14(c) of this Act'' and inserting 
     ``this subsection''; and
       (B) by striking ``There is authorized'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(2) Technical assistance.--
       ``(A) In general.--There are authorized'';
       (4) in paragraph (2)(A) (as so redesignated), in the second 
     sentence, by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(B) Form of funding.--The Secretary''; and
       (5) in paragraph (1) (as so designated)--
       (A) in each of subparagraphs (A) and (B) (as so 
     redesignated)--
       (i) by striking ``the'' the first place it appears and 
     inserting ``The''; and
       (ii) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting a 
     period;
       (B) in subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated), by striking 
     ``the'' the first place it appears and inserting ``The'';
       (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.
       ``(E) For''; and
       (D) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesignated)--
       (i) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting a 
     period;
       (ii) by striking ``in trust: Provided, however, That the 
     word'' and all that follows through ``sentence,'' and 
     inserting the following: ``in trust.

       ``(II) Definition of sale.--For purposes of subclause (I), 
     the term `sale' '';

       (iii) by striking ``one thousand two hundred and eighty 
     acres: Provided further, That any net'' and inserting the 
     following: ``1,280 acres.
       ``(iii) Net revenues.--

       ``(I) In general.--Any net'';

       (iv) by striking ``community needs: Provided, That the'' 
     and inserting the following: ``community needs.
       ``(ii) Minimum acreage.--The'';
       (v) by striking ``(C) the Village Corporation'' and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(C) Conveyance to municipal corporation or the state in 
     trust.--
       ``(i) In general.--The Village Corporation''; and
       (vi) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iv) Cases in which conveyance shall not be required.--

[[Page H446]]

       ``(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).
       ``(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.
       ``(III) Requirements.--In accordance with subsection (g)--

       ``(aa) the reversion of land to a Village Corporation 
     pursuant to subclause (I) shall be subject to--
       ``(AA) valid existing rights created by the applicable 
     trust; and
       ``(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
       ``(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).''.
         
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Ansari) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
to add extraneous material on H.R. 43, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arkansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 43, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 
2025, would amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA, 
and to return lands back to Alaska Native Village Corporations that are 
currently held in trust by the State of Alaska for future 
municipalities.
  ANCSA was enacted to settle aboriginal land claims of Alaska Natives, 
and in doing so Alaska Native corporations were created to receive land 
and disburse payments to Alaska Natives.
  ANCSA required Alaska Native Village Corporations that received land 
to convey some land to an existing municipality. If no municipality 
existed, the land was conveyed to the State of Alaska to be held in 
trust for a future municipality.
  Over the past 53 years, only eight Village Corporations have seen a 
municipality created, with the most recent municipality created in 
1995. This leaves 11,500 acres throughout 83 villages unable to be 
developed because it must be held in trust by Alaska in perpetuity for 
the unlikely creation of a municipality.
  H.R. 43 would end this requirement for Village Corporations to 
reconvey lands for a potential municipality and return land already 
conveyed under this provision to Village Corporations. If returned, 
Village Corporations anticipate developing this land for housing, 
community buildings, and other economic development projects.
  There is widespread support for H.R. 43 within the State of Alaska.
  The Alaska State Senate unanimously passed S.J. Res. 13 on May 9, 
2024, which encouraged the enactment of Federal legislation to return 
the reconveyed lands to Alaska Native Village Corporations. Alaska 
Governor Mike Dunleavy is also supportive of the legislative fix that 
H.R. 43 would provide.
  Again, Madam Speaker, I thank the sponsor of this legislation, Mr. 
Begich, for his work to introduce this bill on the first day of the 
119th Congress so that we could bring it to the floor quickly. I 
appreciate his diligence and swift work on behalf of Alaska, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ANSARI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of Representative Begich's H.R. 43, 
the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025.
  Under current law, when an Alaska Native Village Corporation receives 
land pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, then the 
Village Corporation must convey certain lands to its municipal 
government. If none exists, then the law requires them to convey the 
land to the State of Alaska to be held in trust for when a municipality 
is established in the future.
  The problem is that in many remote Alaska Native communities, it is 
unlikely that a municipal government will ever be formed, which means 
the land being held in trust won't ever be used for its intended 
purpose.
  In fact, since the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 
in 1971, 101 Village Corporations have had lands held in trust by the 
State but only 8 of those villages have incorporated into a 
municipality, and none have done so since 1995.
  This bill would remove the requirement that Alaska Native Village 
Corporations convey land in trust to the State of Alaska for the 
hypothetical establishment of Municipal Corporations, and it would 
allow the Village Corporations to have the State of Alaska reconvey 
such lands back to them.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, which will 
allow communities themselves to make decisions about how best to 
utilize their own lands. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Alaska (Mr. Begich), who is the lead sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. BEGICH. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 43, the Alaska 
Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act. This bill corrects a 
decades-old oversight in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to 
ensure Alaska Native communities can fully use their own land.
  In 1971, ANCSA granted fee simple land ownership to Alaska Natives, 
resolving historic land claims and enabling statehood land 
entitlements. However, section 14(c)(3) required Native Village 
Corporations to transfer land to the State of Alaska to be held in 
trust for future municipalities. More than 50 years later, only 8 of 
101 affected villages have incorporated, leaving 11,500 acres in 83 
villages frozen in bureaucratic limbo.
  H.R. 43 eliminates this outdated requirement and returns these lands 
to Village Corporations, allowing for housing, economic development, 
and community expansion. This bill restores self-determination, 
ensuring Alaska Natives, not government bureaucracy, decide how to use 
their own land.
  This legislation has broad support, as was mentioned, including from 
the Alaska Governor and State Legislature, and was unanimously passed 
by the Senate in the last Congress. I urge my colleagues to support 
this commonsense fix and allow these lands to be used by their owners 
to support their own communities.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I 
am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ANSARI. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, again, this legislation would amend 
ANCSA to return the land in question to impacted Alaska Native Village 
Corporations and eliminate the unnecessary land conveyance requirement 
in the statute.
  I thank Mr. Begich for his leadership and working on this important 
issue for his constituents in Alaska.
  Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of H.R. 43, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 43.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

[[Page H447]]

  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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