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

Alex Padilla

Democrat · CA · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Adam B. Schiff (D-CA)Original· 2026-03-11

Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.

2026-09-23

Source: Congress.gov

This bill takes approximately 860 acres of land in Riverside County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Pechanga Band of Indians. The land is currently administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The land taken into trust shall be (1) part of the tribe's reservation; (2) maintained as an open space; and (3) used only for purposes consistent with the maintenance of the land as open space and for the protection, preservation, and maintenance of the archaeological, cultural, and wildlife resources on the land. Further, the bill prohibits gaming on the land.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4053 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4053 To take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Pechanga Band of Indians, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 11, 2026 Mr. Padilla (for himself and Mr. Schiff) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Pechanga Band of Indians, 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. TRANSFER OF LAND INTO TRUST FOR THE PECHANGA BAND OF INDIANS. (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights and the conditions described in subsection (c), the covered land is hereby taken into trust for the benefit of the Tribe. (b) Administration.--The land taken into trust under subsection (a) shall be-- (1) part of the reservation of the Tribe; and (2) administered in accordance with the laws and regulations generally applicable to property held in trust by the United States for the benefit of an Indian Tribe. (c) Conditions.-- (1) In general.--The land taken into trust under subsection (a) shall be-- (A) subject to all valid encumbrances, liens, rights-of-way, reciprocal road rights-of-way agreements, licenses, leases, permits, and easements existing on the date of the enactment of this Act; (B) maintained as open space; and (C) used only for-- (i) purposes consistent with the maintenance of the land as open space; and (ii) the protection, preservation, and maintenance of the archaeological, cultural, and wildlife resources on the land. (2) Construction and maintenance.--Nothing in this paragraph prohibits the construction or maintenance of utilities or structures that are-- (A) consistent with the maintenance of the land taken into trust under subsection (a) as open space; and (B) constructed for the protection, preservation, and maintenance of the archaeological, cultural, and wildlife resources on the land. (3) Prohibition on gaming.--The land taken into trust under subsection (a) shall not be used for any class II gaming or class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (as those terms are defined in section 4 of that Act (25 U.S.C. 2703)). (d) Rights and Agreements.--Nothing in this Act shall alter, or require the alteration of, any existing water rights or service agreements. (e) Map on File.--The Map shall be kept on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of Land Management. (f) Definitions.--In this Act: (1) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the approximately 860 acres of land in Riverside County, California, administered by the Bureau of Land Management and generally depicted as ``Proposed Pechanga Land Conveyance Parcel'' on the Map. (2) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map titled ``BLM Lands into Trust for the Pechanga Band of Indians'', and dated August 21, 2025. (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior. (4) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Pechanga Band of Indians. <all>

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