S. 550 - THE AMERICAN INDIAN PROBATE REFORM ACT OF 2003 
AND 
OTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE INDIAN LAND CONSOLIDATION ACT
August 15, 2003

S. 550 TASK FORCE UPDATE

The S. 550 Task Force is working to polish our draft of a substitute bill for S. 550. The Task Force, comprised of advocates and staff from Tribes and organizations such as the Indian Land Working Group (ILWG), the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Columbia Legal Services and California Indian Legal Services (CILS), has been working with staff from the BIA Western Region Office and David Mullon, Senior Counsel to the Majority of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, since Senator Campbell introduced S.550 in March.

The S. 550 Task Force held a conference call today and discussed some refinements to provisions of the substitute bill. We continue to engage in great discussions and have an open dialogue on issues impacting tribal, individual and federal interests alike. We expect to continue those discussions and continue to refine the substitute bill at the next work session of the S. 550 Task Force at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on August 20^th and 21^st. The schedule for the work sessions appears below.

David Mullon has confirmed that he will arrive in Albuquerque in mid-afternoon on August 20^th and will also be available to work all day on the 21^st, departing on the 22^nd. Stan Webb and Ernie Titchywy from the BIA Western Region Office are confirmed as well.

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback on the substitute bill thus far. Everyone is encouraged to send recommended changes and annotated pages via e-mail and fax to Lisa Oshiro at (202) 589-1890 (fax). Within the next two weeks, we would like to hand over our draft substitute bill to the Department of the Interior for them to work from.

UPCOMING DEADLINES, MEETINGS AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT DATES

August 20-21, 2003 
S. 550 Task Force meeting at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. David Mullon, Senior Counsel to the Majority of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Stan Webb and Ernie Titchywy, BIA Western Region Office - Phoenix, confirmed for the formal work sessions. For the location of the informal work session, please contact Lisa Oshiro in CILS’ D.C. Office.

Aug. 20^th, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm - Informal work session (location TBD)
Aug. 20^th, 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm - Work session with SCIA and BIA
Aug. 21^st, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm - Work session with SCIA and BIA

September 2003
Hearing on S. 550 substitute bill

September 29 - October 3, 2003
13th Annual Indian Land Consolidation Symposium sponsored by the Indian Land Working Group and hosted by the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes on the Flathead Reservation; S. 550 is the subject of Panel 6 on Wednesday, October 1, 2003.

November 2003 
Projected adjournment for the 1^st Session of the 108^th Congress

Documents

S. 550 Substitute (Working Draft) (PDF - opens in new window)

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