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Mississippi Sioux Tribes Judgment Fund Distribution Act of 1998

Public Law 105-387 · S. 391 · 105th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 13, 1998 · Native Americans

Sponsor: Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)

Cosponsors (5): Sen. Kent Conrad,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • 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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Mississippi Sioux Tribes Judgment Fund Distribution Act of 1998 - Provides for the distribution of certain funds to the Sisseton and Wahpeton Tribes of Sioux Indians to pay a judgment in favor of those tribes.

(Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer a specified aggregate amount to be credited to accounts established in a Fund Account for the benefit of the applicable governing bodies of the : (1) Spirit Lake Tribe of North Dakota; (2) Sisseton and Wahpeton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota; and (3) Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana. Designates the Sisseton and Wahpeton Sioux Council of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes as the tribal governing body of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation for purposes of making such distributions.

(Sec. 5) Prohibits funds allocated for a covered Indian tribe from being used to make per capita payments to tribe members.

Allows funds allocated to be used, administered, and managed by a tribal governing body only for the purpose of making investments or expenditures that the tribal governing body determines to be reasonably related to: (1) economic development; (2) tribal resources development; (3) the development of beneficial tribal programs, including educational and social welfare programs; (4) any existing obligation or debt arising out of any such activities; and (5) specified attorneys' fees.

(Sec. 6) Sets forth provisions concerning the effect of payments to a covered Indian tribe or an individual on eligibility for, or the reduction or denial of, Federal benefits.

(Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary to distribute a specified amount to the lineal descendants of the Sisseton and Wahpeton Tribes of Sioux Indians. Requires ancestral verification of such descendants.

(Sec. 8) Sets forth procedural requirements for civil actions brought by or on behalf of a lineal descendant or any group or combination thereof to challenge the constitutionality or validity of such distributions.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.

  1. Nov 13, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-387.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 2, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 14, 1998Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Oct 10, 1998FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  7. FloorFloor · Mr. Saxton moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  8. Oct 9, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  9. FloorFloor · The committee substitute agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
  10. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  11. Oct 8, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
  12. Jul 29, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
  13. Jul 8, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
  14. Mar 4, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Indian Affairs Committee
  15. 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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.