A bill to authorize the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation to file in the Court of Claims any claims against the United States for damages for delay in payment for lands claimed to be taken in violation of the United States Constitution, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-404 · S. 341 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 9, 1980 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. Quentin Burdick (D-ND)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Milton Young
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 on the Court of Claims, notwithstanding any lapse of time, statute of limitations, or other legal defenses, over any claim filed by the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota, for certain lands taken under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. Stipulates that the Court's determination in a prior case, setting the value of the land at 50 cents per acre, is binding on the parties in litigation brought under this Act.
Directs the Court, if entitlement to such Tribe is determined, to compute any award on the basis of established judicial precedent and to compute interest at the rate of five percent per annum. Entitles the United States to an offset against any judgment entered under this Act of the sums awarded under the prior case. Makes provisions under the Indian Claims Commission Act relative to attorney's fees applicable to 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. 14 actions.
- Oct 9, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-404.
- Oct 1, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 29, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- Sep 19, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 22, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 21, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Jun 25, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Feb 5, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary 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.