[House Report 105-696] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] 105th Congress Report HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 105-696 _______________________________________________________________________ WYANDOTTE TRIBE SETTLEMENT ACT OF 1998 _______ September 9, 1998.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed _______________________________________________________________________ Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Resources, submitted the following R E P O R T [To accompany H.R. 3797] [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 3797) to compensate the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma for the taking of certain rights by the Federal Government, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. PURPOSE OF THE BILL The purpose of H.R. 3797 is to compensate the Wyandotte Tribe for the taking of certain rights by the Federal Government. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION H.R. 3797, the Wyandotte Tribe Settlement Act of 1998, would compensate the Wyandotte Indian Tribe for the taking, by the Federal Government, of exclusive use and occupancy of certain Wyandotte trust lands located in Wyandotte County, Kansas. The Wyandotte Tribe lost a portion of its rights of use and occupancy to certain trust lands located in Wyandotte County, Kansas, after the enactment of Public Law 105-83. That law imposed certain use limitations on those tribal trust lands and precluded the Tribe's use of the land for any other purposes, including gaming purposes. Subsequent to the enactment of Public Law 105-83, the Tribe reached agreement with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City under which the Unified Government agreed to support the Tribe in its acquisition, using its own tribal funds, of other land in Wyandotte County, distant from the Tribe's existing trust lands, which the Tribe could use for gaming purposes so long as the Tribe acts in compliance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. H.R. 3797 directs the Secretary of the Interior to take into trust, for gaming purposes and for the benefit of the Wyandotte Tribe, a single parcel of real property, with this parcel to be purchased by the Tribe within Wyandotte County, Kansas. Except for the taking of land into trust for the benefit of the Tribe, H.R. 3797 would not exempt the Wyandotte Tribe from any requirements or provisions of any Federal law. COMMITTEE ACTION H.R. 3797 was introduced on May 5, 1998, by Congressman Don Young (R-AK) and referred to the Committee on Resources. On May 20, 1998, the Committee met to consider H.R. 3797. No amendments were offered, and the bill was then ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by voice vote. COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS With respect to the requirements of clause 2(l)(3) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Resources' oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States grants Congress the authority to enact H.R. 3797. COST OF THE LEGISLATION Clause 7(a) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out H.R. 3797. However, clause 7(d) of that Rule provides that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XI 1. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(B) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 2. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(D) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee has received no report of oversight findings and recommendations from the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight on the subject of this bill. 3. With respect to the requirement of clause 2(l)(3)(C) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office. congressional budget office cost estimate U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, July 17, 1998. Hon. Don Young, Chairman, Committee on Resources, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3797, the Wyandotte Tribe Settlement Act of 1998. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Kristen Layman. Sincerely, James L. Blum (For June E. O'Neill). Enclosure. H.R. 3797--Wyandotte Tribe Settlement Act of 1998 CBO estimates that H.R. 3797 would have no significant impact on the federal budget. H.R. 3797 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. H.R. 3797 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to take into trust for the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma for gaming purposes a parcel of land in Wyandotte County, Kansas. The Wyandotte Tribe intends to purchase a 107-acre racetrack in Wyandotte County for the purposes of implementing this bill. The CBO staff contact is Kristen Layman. This estimate was approved by Paul N. Van de Water, Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4 H.R. 3797 contains no unfunded mandates. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW If enacted, H.R. 3797 would make no changes in existing law.