To take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Pechanga Band of Indians, and for other purposes.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would transfer ownership of specific land in California into a special legal status called "trust," with the federal government holding that land on behalf of the Pechanga Band of Indians. When land is taken into trust for a Native American tribe, it becomes part of the tribe's reservation and is no longer subject to state and local taxes or most state and local regulations. This is a process that has been used for many decades to help federally recognized tribes secure and expand their land base.

The Pechanga Band of Indians is a federally recognized tribe located in Temecula, California, in Riverside County. This bill directly affects the tribe by potentially giving them greater control over the specified land, including how it is used and managed. It could also affect the surrounding local governments, since land taken into federal trust is generally removed from local property tax rolls, which can impact county and municipal revenues.

The bill has been moving through the House of Representatives and was reviewed and approved — with some amendments — by the House Committee on Natural Resources. It has been placed on the Union Calendar, meaning it is eligible for a full vote by the House. The specific details of which parcels of land are involved and any conditions on how the land can be used would be spelled out in the full bill text and the accompanying committee report (H. Rept. 119-585).