An Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to purchase and hold certain lands in trust for the Zuni Indian Tribe of New Mexico, and to confer jurisdiction on the Court of Claims with respect to land claims of such tribe.
Public Law 95-280 · S. 482 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on May 15, 1978 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Harrison Schmitt
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.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to acquire specified lands in New Mexico to be held in trust for the Zuni Indian Tribe. Confers jurisdiction upon the United States Court of Claims to hear, determine, and render judgment on any claims of the tribe against the United States with respect to any lands or interests therein in the State of New Mexico or the State of Arizona which were taken from the tribe without just compensation by the United States. Confers jurisdiction only with respect to claims accruing on or before August 13, 1946, and all such claims must be filed within three years after approval of this Act.
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.
- May 15, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-280.
- May 4, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- May 3, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- May 2, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Apr 18, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 3787.
- May 4, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- May 3, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Apr 29, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Feb 21, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Jan 28, 1977IntroducedIntroduced · 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.