Poarch Band of Creek Indians Parity Act

This bill makes clear that the Poarch Band of Creek Indians are treated as being under federal jurisdiction for the Indian Reorganization Act, as if that status existed on June 18, 1934. It also confirms that any land the federal government already took into trust for the tribe stays in trust, and it approves the Interior Department’s past decisions to do so. This helps end legal uncertainty that arose after a 2009 Supreme Court case, Carcieri v. Salazar, questioned when tribes were “under federal jurisdiction” for land-into-trust decisions.

• Who is affected: The Poarch Band of Creek Indians and their communities.
• What changes: The tribe is explicitly covered by the Indian Reorganization Act; past land-into-trust decisions are reaffirmed.
• Why it matters: It protects the tribe’s trust lands and supports stable tribal governance and services, avoiding disputes tied to the Carcieri ruling.
• When: Applies upon enactment; it also “looks back” by treating the tribe as under federal jurisdiction as of June 18, 1934, and by reaffirming lands already taken into trust.