A bill to permit the mineral leasing of Indian land located within the Fort Berthold Indian reservation in any case in which there is consent from a majority interest in the parcel of land under consideration for lease.
Public Law 105-188 · S. 2069 · 105th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Jul 7, 1998 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Kent Conrad
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to approve any mineral lease or agreement that affects individually owned Indian land located within the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota (individually owned Indian land) if: (1) the owners of a majority of the undivided interest in the Indian land that is the subject of the lease or agreement consent; and (2) the Secretary determines that approving the lease or agreement is in the best interest of the land's Indian owners.
Makes an approved lease or agreement binding on all owners of interest in the land to the same extent as if all had consented to the lease or agreement. Provides for the distribution of proceeds to all owners of the land subject to the lease or agreement in accordance with the interest owned by each owner.
Authorizes the Secretary to execute a mineral lease or agreement that affects individually owned Indian land on behalf of an Indian owner if: (1) the owner is deceased and the heirs to the interest have not been determined; or (2) the heirs have been determined but one or more of the heirs cannot be located.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.
- Jul 7, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-188.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jun 26, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jun 24, 1998FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Hansen asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- Jun 10, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 5, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- May 20, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- May 12, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.