NATIVE AMERICAN OMNIBUS ACT PASSES SENATE, AWAITS PASSAGE IN HOUSE
November 20, 2002

Washington, D.C. -- Before adjourning the 107^th Congress this evening, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. 2711, the Native American Omnibus Act of 2002. S. 2711 includes many urgently needed provisions that will provide improvements throughout Indian Country on issues including economic development, land, water, leasing, judgment fund distributions, waivers of loan repayments, health care, and the reauthorization of several important Native American programs.

The Indian Probate Reform Act of 2002 and other amendments to the Indian Land Consolidation Act are incorporated from S. 1340 into S. 2711. These amendments are vitally important to stop the erosion of the already limited land bases throughout Indian Country as more land currently passes out of trust than is taken into trust each year. (A version of S. 1340 that passed out of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs a few weeks ago also passed as a stand-alone bill, but will not be pushed for passage in the House because it does not contain the amendment passed by the National Congress of American Indians last week and included in S.2711.)

The U.S. House of Representatives will convene briefly on Friday at 11:00 a.m. EST in order to complete its business on bills previously passed by the House, but amended by the Senate. Friends of Indian Country in the House will press the House leadership to pass S. 2711, the Native American Omnibus Act of 2002, by unanimous consent before it adjourns.

For more information about S. 2711 or updates on the status of the bill, contact CILS’ Washington D.C. Office at (202) 589-1860.

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