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Western Shoshone Claims Distribution Act

Public Law 108-270 · H.R. 884 · 108th Congress · began in the House

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Jul 7, 2004 · Native Americans

Sponsor: Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-NV-2)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Jon Porter

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.

Western Shoshone Claims Distribution Act - (Sec. 2) Provides for the per capita distribution of shares of specified funds appropriated in satisfaction of a judgment award granted to the Western Shoshone Indians in Docket Number 326-K before the Indian Claims Commission (ICC) to U.S. citizens who have at least 1/4 Western Shoshone blood and who are enrolled on a Western Shoshone Judgment Roll to be established by the Secretary of the Interior.

Requires the Secretary to establish a Western Shoshone Judgement Roll consisting of all individuals who have at least 1/4 degree of Western Shoshone Blood, are U.S. citizens, and are living on the date of enactment of this Act.

Makes ineligible for enrollment under this Act any individual who is eligible to receive other judgment awards from the ICC, the United States Claims Court, or the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Requires the Secretary to publish rules and regulations governing the establishment of the Judgment Roll and specifies per capita distribution requirements (including those for heirs of deceased beneficiaries, incompetents, minors and individuals under age 19).

(Sec. 3) Provides for distribution of specified funds appropriated in satisfaction of the judgment awards granted in Docket Numbers 326-A-1 and 326-A-3 before the U.S. Court of Claims.

Requires the Secretary to establish, for the benefit of Western Shoshone members, the Western Shoshone Educational Trust Fund, to which such funds shall be credited.

Requires that all accumulated and future interest and income from the Trust Fund be distributed: (1) as educational grants and assistance to individual Western Shoshone members as determined appropriate by the Administrative Committee established by this Act to oversee such distribution; and (2) to pay reasonable and necessary expenses of such Committee.

Specifies the membership and duties of the Committee.

Committees

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

Data notes

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 618Related bill

    Western Shoshone Claims Distribution Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.

  1. Jul 7, 2004Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-270.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jun 25, 2004FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Jun 24, 2004FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. Jun 22, 2004CalendarCalendar · Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 592.
  7. Jun 21, 2004FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  9. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 884.
  10. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  11. FloorFloor · Mr. Gibbons moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  12. Oct 7, 2003CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 174.
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Resources. H. Rept. 108-299.
  14. Sep 24, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 21 - 14.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  16. Jun 18, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Committee Hearings Held.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by House Natural Resources Committee
  18. Feb 28, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
  19. Feb 25, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
  20. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.