A bill to provide for the distribution of certain funds appropriated to pay judgments in favor of the Delaware Tribe of Indians and the Absentee Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma in Indian Claims Commission dockets 27-A and 241, 289, and 27-B and 338, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-318 · S. 1466 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Aug 1, 1980 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Frank Church
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 prepare rolls of eligible persons and to distribute, on a per capita basis, funds appropriated to pay specified Indian Claims Commission judgments in favor of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma and other members of the Delaware Tribe of Indians.
Allocates a portion of such funds for the payment of legal expenses by the Kansas Delaware Tribe of Indians, Incorporated, and the Delawares of Idaho, Incorporated.
Authorizes the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma to invest the remaining funds, after the per capita distribution, for tribal social and economic programming purposes.
Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations for the per capita distribution of shares to deceased individual beneficiaries, legal incompetents, and persons under 18 years of age.
Provides that none of the funds to be distributed shall be subject to Federal or State income taxes or be considered as income or resources in determining eligibility for Federal, State, or local assistance programs.
Directs the Secretary to promulgate rules and regulations governing enrollment procedures to effect 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. 12 actions.
- Aug 1, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-318.
- Jul 23, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Jul 22, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jul 21, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- Jun 26, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 19, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 18, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Mar 12, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Jul 9, 1979CommitteeCommittee · 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.