An act to repeal and amend certain laws regulating trade between Indians and certain Federal employees.
Latest action. public lawWhat a bill becomes when enacted, numbered by Congress and order of enactment: Public Law 119-4 is the 4th law of the 119th Congress.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) 96-277.
(House agreed to certain Senate amendment with an amendment) Amends existing provisions of Federal law which prohibit the trading or contracting by Federal employees with Indians to prohibit only such trading or contracting, excluding actions on behalf of the United States, by officers, agents, or employees of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or the Indian Health Service (IHS). Authorizes the President to prescribe rules under which a BIA or IHS officer, agent, or employee may purchase from or sell to an Indian any service or any real or personal property. Prohibits the purchase or sale by any such officer, agent, or employee of real or personal property for the purpose of commercially selling, reselling, trading, or bartering such property. Declares that such regulations shall not permit such an employee: (1) to have any interest in a transaction involving property or funds which are either held in trust by the United States for Indians or connected with a BIA or IHS grant or contract, unless the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, or such Secretary's designee, approves such transaction; or (2) to acquire any trust lands or property subject to restriction against alienation imposed by the United States, unless such acquisition is authorized by law. Provides that such designee may not be a relative of such employee, and must be employed at the Washington, D.C. central office at a higher grade level, than any such employee employed at a regional BIA or IHS office. Permits the Secretary of the Interior to ratify any transaction, other than one involving the sale of trust or restricted property, occurring before the effective date of this Act if such transaction would be legal under this Act. Declares that this Act shall take effect 60 days after its enactment. Specifies and describes a tract of land in Washington to be held by the Secretary for the Wa-He-Lute Indian school for its use as an Indian school and community center. Provides that title to such land shall remain in the United States to be held by the Secretary so long as it is used for such purposes. Directs that when such land is no longer used for such purposes, title shall be taken in trust for the benefit of a named enrollee or his heirs.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment" stage on June 9, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Public Law 96-277.
Civibrief does not map this action to a stage in the process. See the official record.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
The latest action on file does not map to a stage Civibrief recognizes, so the page will not name one. The record's own words are the reliable fact here.
The record's latest action, on June 17, 1980: Public Law 96-277.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one has no outstanding steps listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HAROLD RUNNELS (D-NM) introduced it on May 7, 1979. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on May 7, 1979, 17341 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16934 days ago, on June 17, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HousePublic Law 96-277.
- SenateNot stated in the latest action
- PresidentNot stated in the latest action