Text of Senate Amendment 6700

Quick facts

Record: Senate Floor
Section type: Amendments
Chamber: Senate
Date: July 15, 2026
Congress: 119th Congress
Why this source matters: This section came from the Senate floor portion of the record.

Readable version of the official text

SA 6700. Ms. MURKOWSKI submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

SEC. 1__. UNRECOGNIZED SOUTHEAST ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES

RECOGNITION AND COMPENSATION ACT.

(a) Short Title.—This section may be cited as the

“Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities

Recognition and Compensation Act”.

(b) Purpose.—The purpose of this section is to redress the

omission of the southeastern Alaska communities of Haines,

Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell from eligibility

under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601

et seq.) by authorizing the Alaska Natives enrolled in the

communities—

(1) to form Urban Corporations for the communities of

Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell under

the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et

seq.); and

(2) to receive certain settlement land pursuant to that

Act.

Section 16 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43

U.S.C. 1615) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(e) Native Villages of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg,

Tenakee, and Wrangell, Alaska.—

“(1) In general.—The Native residents of each of the

Native Villages of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee,

and Wrangell, Alaska, may organize as Urban Corporations.

“(2) Effect on entitlement to land.—Nothing in this

subsection affects any entitlement to land of any Native

Corporation established before the date of enactment of this

subsection pursuant to this Act or any other provision of

law.”.

(d) Shareholder Eligibility.—Section 8 of the Alaska

Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1607) is amended by

adding at the end the following:

“(d) Native Villages of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg,

Tenakee, and Wrangell.—

“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall enroll to each of

the Urban Corporations for Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg,

Tenakee, or Wrangell those individual Natives who enrolled

under this Act to the Native Villages of Haines, Ketchikan,

Petersburg, Tenakee, or Wrangell, respectively.

“(2) Number of shares.—Each Native who is enrolled to an

Urban Corporation for Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee,

or Wrangell pursuant to paragraph (1) and who was enrolled as

a shareholder of the Regional Corporation for Southeast

Alaska shall receive 100 shares of Settlement Common Stock in

the respective Urban Corporation.

“(3) Natives receiving shares through inheritance.—If a

Native received shares of stock in the Regional Corporation

for Southeast Alaska through inheritance from a decedent

Native who originally enrolled to the Native Village of

Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, or Wrangell and the

decedent Native was not a shareholder in a Village

Corporation or Urban Corporation, the Native shall receive

the identical number of shares of Settlement Common Stock in

the Urban Corporation for Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg,

Tenakee, or Wrangell as the number of shares inherited by

that Native from the decedent Native who would have been

eligible to be enrolled to the respective Urban Corporation.

“(4) Effect on entitlement to land.—Nothing in this

subsection affects any previous or future allocation of

acreage to any Regional Corporation pursuant to section 12(b)

or 14(h)(8).”.

(e) Distribution Rights.—Section 7 of the Alaska Native

Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1606) is amended—

(1) in subsection (j)—

(A) in the third sentence, by striking “In the case” and

inserting the following:

“(3) Thirteenth regional corporation.—In the case”;

(B) in the second sentence, by striking “Not less” and

inserting the following:

“(2) Minimum allocation.—Not less”;

“(j) Distribution of Corporate Funds and Other Net

Income.—

“(1) In general.—During”; and

(D) by adding at the end the following:

“(4) Native villages of haines, ketchikan, petersburg,

tenakee, and wrangell.—Native members of the Native Villages

of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell who

become shareholders in an Urban Corporation for such a Native

Village shall continue to be eligible to receive

distributions under this subsection as at-large shareholders

of the Regional Corporation for Southeast Alaska.”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(s) Effect of Amendatory Act.—The Unrecognized Southeast

Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act

and the amendments made by that Act shall not affect—

“(1) the ratio for determination of revenue distribution

among Native Corporations under this section; or

“(2) the settlement agreement among Regional Corporations

or Village Corporations or other provisions of subsection (i)

or (j).”.

(f) Compensation.—The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

(43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the

following:

“SEC. 43. URBAN CORPORATIONS FOR HAINES, KETCHIKAN,

PETERSBURG, TENAKEE, AND WRANGELL.

“(a) Definition of Urban Corporation.—In this section,

the term `Urban Corporation' means each of the Urban

Corporations for Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and

Wrangell.

“(b) Conveyances of Land.—

“(1) Authorization.—

“(A) Conveyances to urban corporations.—

“(i) In general.—Subject to valid existing rights and

paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (6), the Secretary shall

convey—

“(I) to the Urban Corporation for Haines, in accordance

with clause (ii), the surface estate in 13 parcels of Federal

land comprising approximately 23,040 acres, as generally

depicted on the maps entitled `Haines Selections', numbered 1

through 3, and dated June 27, 2025;

“(II) to the Urban Corporation for Ketchikan, the surface

estate in 8 parcels of Federal land comprising approximately

23,040 acres, as generally depicted on the maps entitled

`Ketchikan Selections', numbered 1 through 4, and dated June

27, 2025 (except the mining claim AA-91521 in Sec. 4, T. 78

S., R. 88 E., Copper River Meridian, as generally depicted on

the map entitled `Kitkun Cove', numbered 1 of 4);

“(III) to the Urban Corporation for Petersburg, the

surface estate in 12 parcels of Federal land comprising

approximately 23,040 acres, as generally depicted on the maps

entitled `Petersburg Selections', numbered 1 through 3, and

dated June 27, 2025 (except the Lighthouse withdrawals USS

Nos. 1710 and 1711, in Sec. 15, 16, and 22, T. 56 S., R. 76

E., Copper River Meridian, as generally depicted on the map

entitled `Portage Bay East', numbered 1 of 3);

“(IV) to the Urban Corporation for Tenakee, the surface

estate in 15 parcels of Federal land comprising approximately

23,040 acres, as generally depicted on the maps entitled

`Tenakee Selections', numbered 1 through 3, and dated June

27, 2025; and

“(V) to the Urban Corporation for Wrangell, the surface

estate in 13 parcels of Federal land comprising approximately

23,040 acres, as generally depicted on the maps entitled

`Wrangell Selections', numbered 1 through 5, and dated June

27, 2025.

“(ii) Haines phases; conditions.—

“(I) Conveyance phases.—The conveyance to the Urban

Corporation for Haines under

clause (i)(I) in the selection area at Slate Creek, Berners

Bay, as generally depicted on the map entitled `Haines

Selections', map 2 of 3, and dated June 27, 2025 (referred to

in this subclause as the `Map'), shall be completed in the

following 2 phases:

“(aa) Phase 1.—The Secretary shall convey to the Urban

Corporation for Haines the parcel of Federal land comprising

approximately 81 acres, as generally depicted on the Map as

`Slate Ck. West Shore'.

“(bb) Phase 2.—Subject to the conditions described in

subclause (II), and on an application for conveyance by the

Urban Corporation for Haines, the Secretary shall convey to

the Urban Corporation for Haines—

“(AA) the parcel of Federal land comprising approximately

37 acres, as generally depicted on the Map as `Slate Ck. West

Shore North'; and

“(BB) the parcel of Federal land comprising approximately

55 acres, as generally depicted on the Map as `Slate Ck. East

Shore'.

“(II) Phase 2 conditions.—The phase 2 conveyance

described in subclause (I)(bb) shall occur on the earliest of

the date on which—

“(aa) the Federal mining claims underlying the Federal

land described in that subclause are relinquished;

“(bb) the Federal mining claims underlying the Federal

land described in that subclause are abandoned, on a

determination by the Secretary that the Federal mining claims

are void and forfeited; and

“(cc) Coeur Alaska Inc. (or a successor in interest)

consents that the Federal land described in that subclause

can be conveyed prior to any relinquishment or abandonment of

the Federal mining claims underlying that land.

“(B) Conveyances to regional corporation for southeast

alaska.—Subject to valid existing rights, on the applicable

date on which the surface estate in land is conveyed to an

Urban Corporation under subparagraph (A)(i), the Secretary

shall convey to the Regional Corporation for Southeast Alaska

the subsurface estate for that land.

“(C) Congressional intent.—

“(i) In general.—Subject to clause (ii), it is the intent

of Congress that the Secretary complete the interim

conveyance of the surface estate in land to an Urban

Corporation under subparagraph (A)(i) not later than the date

that is 2 years after the applicable date of incorporation of

the Urban Corporation under section 16(e)(1).

“(ii) Exception.—As the Secretary determines to be

necessary, the Secretary may extend the 2-year deadline

established by clause (i) by not more than 1 year for any

individual parcel of land to allow for the conclusion of any

pending appeal of a public easement decision for the

applicable parcel pursuant to section 17(b), subject to the

requirement that the final conveyance of the surface estate

with respect to the applicable parcel shall be completed as

soon as practicable after the date on which the appeal is

concluded.

“(D) Finalization of entitlement.—The conveyances under

subparagraph (A)(i) of approximately 23,040 acres of land to

each Urban Corporation shall be considered to be the full and

final satisfaction of the entitlement of the southeastern

Alaska communities of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee,

and Wrangell under this Act, notwithstanding whether the

surveyed acreage of the parcels of land described in

subclauses (I) through (V) of that subparagraph is less than

or more than 23,040 acres in the case of each Urban

Corporation.

“(2) Withdrawal.—

“(A) In general.—Subject to valid existing rights, the

Federal land described in paragraph (1) is withdrawn from all

forms of—

“(i) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public

land laws;

“(ii) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws;

and

“(iii) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral

and geothermal leasing or mineral materials.

“(B) Termination.—The withdrawal under subparagraph (A)

shall remain in effect until the date on which the Federal

land is conveyed under paragraph (1).

“(3) Treatment of land conveyed.—Except as otherwise

provided in this section, any land conveyed to an Urban

Corporation under paragraph (1)(A)(i)—

“(A)(i) shall be considered to be land conveyed by the

Secretary under paragraph (3) of section 14(h); but

“(ii) shall not be subject to the requirements under that

section that the land be vacant, unappropriated, and

unreserved; and

“(B) shall be subject to all laws (including regulations)

applicable to entitlements under section 14(h)(3), including

section 907(d) of the Alaska National Interest Lands

Conservation Act (43 U.S.C. 1636(d)).

“(4) Public easements.—

“(A) In general.—Subject to subparagraph (C), the

conveyance and patents for the land under paragraph (1)(A)(i)

shall be subject to the reservation before the conveyance of

public easements under section 17(b).

“(B) Termination.—No public easement reserved on land

conveyed under paragraph (1)(A)(i) shall be terminated by the

Secretary without publication of notice of the proposed

termination in the Federal Register.

“(C) Reservation of easements.—In the conveyance and

patent for any parcel of land under paragraph (1)(A)(i) for

which the easement reservation process has not been completed

by the date that is 2 years after the applicable date of

incorporation of the Urban Corporation under section

16(e)(1), or, in the case of an appeal of a public easement

under section 17(b), by the date that is 3 years after the

applicable date of incorporation, the Secretary shall—

“(i) convey the parcel of land; and

“(ii) as part of the conveyance and patent for the parcel

of land under clause (i), reserve the right of the Secretary

to amend the conveyance and patent to include reservations of

public easements under section 17(b) until the date of

completion of the easement reservation process.

“(D) State of alaska easements.—Nothing in this Act

modifies, changes, or terminates the rights-of-way granted to

the State under—

“(i) section 4407 of the SAFETEA-LU (Public Law 109-59;

119 Stat. 1777); or

“(ii) the 2006 memorandum of understanding between the

State and the Forest Service to implement that section.

“(5) Hunting, fishing, recreation, and access.—

“(A) In general.—Any land conveyed under paragraph

(1)(A)(i), including access to the land through roadways,

trails, and forest roads, shall remain open and available to

subsistence uses, noncommercial recreational hunting and

fishing, and other noncommercial recreational uses by the

public under applicable law—

“(i) without liability on the part of the Urban

Corporation, except for willful acts of the Urban

Corporation, to any user as a result of the use; and

“(ii) subject to—

“(I) any reasonable restrictions that may be imposed by

the Urban Corporation on the public use—

“(aa) to ensure public safety;

“(bb) to minimize conflicts between recreational and

commercial uses;

“(cc) to protect cultural resources;

“(dd) to conduct scientific research; or

“(ee) to provide environmental protection; and

“(II) the condition that the Urban Corporation post on any

applicable property, in accordance with State law, notices of

the restrictions on use.

“(B) Effect.—Access provided to any individual or entity

under subparagraph (A) shall not—

“(i) create an interest in any third party in the land

conveyed under paragraph (1)(A)(i); or

“(ii) provide standing to any third party in any review

of, or challenge to, any determination by the Urban

Corporation with respect to the management or development of

the land conveyed under paragraph (1)(A)(i), except as

against the Urban Corporation for the management of public

access under subparagraph (A).

“(6) Miscellaneous.—

“(A) Special use authorizations.—

“(i) In general.—On the conveyance of land to an Urban

Corporation under paragraph (1)(A)(i)—

“(I) any guiding or outfitting special use authorization

issued by the Forest Service for the use of the conveyed land

shall terminate; and

“(II) as a condition of the conveyance and consistent with

section 14(g), the Urban Corporation shall issue the holder

of the special use authorization terminated under subclause

(I) an authorization to continue the authorized use, subject

to the terms and conditions that were in the special use

authorization issued by the Forest Service, for—

“(aa) the remainder of the term of the authorization; and

“(bb) 1 additional consecutive 10-year renewal period.

“(ii) Notice of commercial activities.—The Urban

Corporation, and any holder of a guiding or outfitting

authorization under this subparagraph, shall have a mutual

obligation, subject to the guiding or outfitting

authorization, to inform the other party of any commercial

activities prior to engaging in the activities on the land

conveyed to the Urban Corporation under paragraph (1)(A)(i).

“(iii) Negotiation of new terms.—Nothing in this

paragraph precludes the Urban Corporation and the holder of a

guiding or outfitting authorization from negotiating a new

mutually agreeable guiding or outfitting authorization.

“(iv) Liability.—Neither the Urban Corporation nor the

United States shall bear any liability, except for willful

acts of the Urban Corporation or the United States, regarding

the use and occupancy of any land conveyed to the Urban

Corporation under paragraph (1)(A)(i), as provided in any

outfitting or guiding authorization under this paragraph.

“(B) Mutual use agreement for roads and facilities.—

“(i) In general.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall seek

to enter into a binding mutual use agreement for—

“(I) the use of National Forest System roads and related

transportation facilities (including marine access

facilities, log transfer facilities, sort yards, and

associated log rafting and storage areas) in the Tongass

National Forest by the Urban Corporation and designees of the

Urban Corporation; and

“(II) the use of the roads and related transportation

facilities (including marine access facilities, log transfer

facilities, sort yards, and associated log rafting and

storage areas) of the Urban Corporation by the Forest Service

and designees of the Forest Service.

“(ii) Terms and conditions.—The binding mutual use

agreement under clause (i)—

“(I) shall provide that the use of road and transportation

facilities infrastructure by a third party shall not begin

until the date on

which the third party signs a mutual use agreement entered

into with the Urban Corporation;

“(II) shall provide that the State (including entities and

designees of the State) shall be authorized to use the roads

and related transportation facilities of the Urban

Corporation on substantially similar terms as are provided by

the Urban Corporation to the Forest Service;

“(III) shall include restrictions on, and fees for, the

use of the National Forest System roads and related

transportation facilities in existence as of the date of

enactment of this section, as necessary, that are reasonable

and comparable to the restrictions and fees imposed by the

Forest Service for the use of the roads and related

transportation facilities;

“(IV) shall not restrict or limit any access to the roads

and related transportation facilities of the Urban

Corporation or the Forest Service that may be otherwise

provided by valid existing rights and agreements in existence

as of the date of enactment of this section; and

“(V) shall provide for periodic updates to the mutual use

agreement if the terms and conditions of the updated mutual

use agreement are consistent with the terms and conditions

described in subclauses (I) through (IV).

“(iii) Intent of congress.—It is the intent of Congress

that the mutual use agreement under clause (i) shall be

entered into as soon as practicable after the date of

enactment of this section and in any case by not later than 1

year after the date of incorporation of the Urban

Corporation.

“(iv) Continued access.—Beginning on the date on which

the land is conveyed to the Urban Corporation under paragraph

(1)(A)(i) and ending on the effective date of a binding

mutual use agreement entered into under clause (i), the Urban

Corporation shall provide and allow administrative access to

roads and related transportation facilities on the land under

substantially similar terms as are provided by the Forest

Service as of the date of enactment of this section.

“(C) Effect on other laws.—

“(i) In general.—Nothing in this section delays the duty

of the Secretary to convey land to—

“(I) the State under Public Law 85-508 (commonly known as

the `Alaska Statehood Act') (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21); or

“(II) a Native Corporation under—

“(aa) this Act; or

“(bb) the Alaska Land Transfer Acceleration Act (43 U.S.C.

1611 note; Public Law 108-452).

“(ii) Statehood entitlement.—

“(I) In general.—Statehood selections under Public Law

85-508 (commonly known as the `Alaska Statehood Act') (48

U.S.C. note prec. 21) are not displaced by the parcels of

land described in subclauses (I) through (V) of paragraph

(1)(A)(i).

“(II) Boundary adjustments.—In the event of a dispute

between an area selected as a Statehood selection and a

parcel of land referred to in subclause (I), the Secretary

shall work with the Urban Corporation and the State in good

faith to adjust the boundary of the parcel to exclude any

area selected as a Statehood selection.

“(iii) Conveyances.—The Secretary shall promptly proceed

with the conveyance of all land necessary to fulfill the

final entitlement of all Native Corporations in accordance

with—

“(I) this Act; and

“(II) the Alaska Land Transfer Acceleration Act (43 U.S.C.

1611 note; Public Law 108-452).

“(iv) Fish and wildlife.—Nothing in this section enlarges

or diminishes the responsibility and authority of the State

with respect to the management of fish and wildlife on public

land in the State.

“(D) Maps.—

“(i) Availability.—Each map referred to in paragraph

(1)(A)(i) shall be available in the appropriate offices of

the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture.

“(ii) Corrections.—The Secretary, in consultation with

the Secretary of Agriculture, may make any necessary

correction to a clerical or typographical error in a map

referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i).

“(7) Escrow funds.—Beginning on the date of enactment of

this section, the escrow requirements of section 2 of Public

Law 94-204 (43 U.S.C. 1613 note) shall apply to proceeds

(including interest) derived from the land withdrawn under

paragraph (2).

“(c) Conveyance of Roads, Trails, Log Transfer Facilities,

Leases, and Appurtenances.—

“(1) In general.—The land conveyed to an Urban

Corporation under subsection (b)(1)(A)(i) shall include all

right, title, and interest of the United States in all roads,

trails, log transfer facilities, leases, and appurtenances on

or related to the land conveyed to the Urban Corporation.

“(2) Conditions.—The land conveyed to an Urban

Corporation under subsection (b)(1)(A)(i) shall be subject to

all valid existing rights in accordance with section 14(g),

including any reciprocal rights-of-way, easements, or

agreements for the use of the roads, trails, log transfer

facilities, leases, and appurtenances conveyed under

subsection (b)(1)(A)(i).

“(3) Continuation of agreements.—

“(A) In general.—On or before the date on which land is

conveyed to an Urban Corporation under subsection

(b)(1)(A)(i), the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary

of the Interior shall provide to the Urban Corporation notice

of all reciprocal rights-of-way, easements, and agreements

for use of the roads, trails, log transfer facilities,

leases, and appurtenances on or related to the land in

existence as of the date of enactment of this section.

“(B) Requirement.—In accordance with section 14(g), any

right-of-way, easement, or agreement described in

subparagraph (A) shall continue unless the right-of-way,

easement, or agreement—

“(i) expires under its own terms; or

“(ii) is mutually renegotiated.

“(d) Settlement Trust.—

“(1) In general.—Each Urban Corporation may establish a

settlement trust in accordance with section 39 for the

purposes of promoting the health, education, and welfare of

the trust beneficiaries, and preserving the Native heritage

and culture, of the community of Haines, Ketchikan,

Petersburg, Tenakee, or Wrangell, as applicable.

“(2) Proceeds and income.—The proceeds and income from

the principal of a trust established under paragraph (1)

shall—

“(A) first be applied to the support of those enrollees,

and the descendants of the enrollees, who are elders or minor

children; and

“(B) thereafter to the support of all other enrollees.”.

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