An Act authorizing the Wichita Indian Tribe of Oklahoma, and its affiliated bands and groups of Indians, to file with the Indian Claims Commission any of their claims against the United States for lands taken without adequate compensation, and for other purposes.
Public Law 95-247 · S. 773 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Mar 21, 1978 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. Dewey Bartlett (R-OK)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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.
Confers jurisdiction upon the Indian Claims Commission, under the Act of August 13, 1946, to hear any claims of the Wichita Indian Tribe and its affiliated bands and groups with respect to land taken without adequate compensation by the United States. Requires any such claims filed by any affiliated bands or groups to be held in common with the Wichita Indian Tribe. Provides for the transfer of claims filed with the commission to the Court of Claims.
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. 13 actions.
- Mar 21, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-247.
- Mar 10, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Mar 9, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Mar 8, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment.
- Feb 24, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 3377.
- May 6, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- May 5, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- May 3, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Feb 24, 1977CommitteeCommittee · 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.