Official Summaries

Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025

This bill removes the requirement that Alaska Native village corporations must convey lands to Alaska to be held in trust for future municipal governments. 

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) requires all Alaska Native village corporations that receive land under the ANCSA to convey certain lands to the existing municipality in the village or, if no municipality exists, to Alaska in trust for any municipality that may be established in the future. This bill removes the requirement for conveyance. Additionally, the bill allows village corporations to regain title to the lands held in trust by dissolving the trust through formal resolution by the village corporation and the residents of the Native village.

Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025

This act removes the requirement that Alaska Native village corporations must convey lands to Alaska to be held in trust for future municipal governments. 

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) requires all Alaska Native village corporations that receive land under the ANCSA to convey certain lands to the existing municipality in the village or, if no municipality exists, to Alaska in trust for any municipality that may be established in the future. This act removes the requirement for conveyance. Additionally, the act allows village corporations to regain title to the lands held in trust by dissolving the trust through formal resolution by the village corporation and the residents of the Native village.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 43 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.43

                     One Hundred Nineteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
         the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-five


                                 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.

    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.--

                    ``(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).''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.