DISPOSITION OF THE GILA RIVER PIMA-MARICOPA INDIAN COMMUNITY JUDGMENT FUNDS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1980 U.S. SENATE, SELECT COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS, The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 1 p.m., in room 4200, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. John Melcher (chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Senator Melcher. Staff present: Max Richtman, staff director; and Peter Taylor, special counsel. Senator MELCHER. The committee will come to order. This afternoon we are meeting in public hearing on S. 2508, a bill to provide for the use and disposition of the Gila River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community judgment funds awarded the tribe by the Indian Claims Commission in dockets 236-A, 236-B, and 236-E in 1976 and in 1979, respectively. It appears this legislation has the support of the Indian community involved. I received a telegram this morning from Governor Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community urging favorable disposition of this bill. At this time I will place a copy of S. 2508 and the telegram from Governor Lewis into the record." [The material follows:] (1) II 96TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 2508 To provide for the disposition of the Gila River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community judgment funds awarded in dockets 236-A, 236-B, and 236-E before the Indian Claims Commission and the United States Court of Claims, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 1 (legislative day, JANUARY 3), 1980 Mr. DECONCINI introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs A BILL To provide for the disposition of the Gila River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community judgment funds awarded in dockets 236-A, 236-B, and 236-E before the Indian Claims Commission and the United States Court of Claims, and for other purposes. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That notwithstanding any other provision of law, the funds 4 appropriated on May 4, 1977 (91 Stat. 61), in satisfaction of 5 the judgment granted to the Gila River Pima-Maricopa 6 Indian Community in dockets 236-A and 236-B before the 1 Indian Claims Commission and on April 23, 1979, in docket 2 236-E before the United States Court of Claims, less attor 3 ney fees and litigation expenses, and including all interest 4 and investment income accrued, shall be used and distributed 5 as provided herein. 6 SEC. 2. (a) The Secretary of the Interior shall invest the 7 principal sum of funds in all dockets pursuant to the provi8 sions of the first section of the Act of June 24, 1938 (25 9 U.S.C. 162a). The interest and investment income accrued 10 shall be immediately available to the Gila River Indian Com11 munity upon the approval by the Secretary of the Interior of 12 the community's plan of operation and budget as set forth in 13 Gila River Indian Community Resolution Numbered 14 GR-100-79, adopted August 1, 1979, as follows: 15 16 17 18 19 20 (1) 50 per centum of such interest and income resulting from dockets 236-A and 236-B shall be used as operational costs of the Gila River Indian Community; and (2) 50 per centum of such interest and income shall be distributed to the seven community districts, 21 prorated on the basis of current population at the time 222 23 24 such distributions are made and shall be used for the general district government operations and programs. (b) All of the accrued interest and income from docket 25 236-E shall be used as operational costs of the Gila River 1 Indian Community. Thereafter, interest on invested funds 2 shall be advanced quarterly and used as provided in this 3 section. 4 SEC. 3. The Gila River Indian Community may utilize 5 portions of the principal funds referred to in section 2 of this 6 Act in connection with programs proposed by the Gila River 7 Indian Community on a budgetary basis which has been ap8 proved by the Secretary of the Interior. |