An act to provide for certain lands to be held in trust for the Moapa Band of Paiute and to be considered to be part of the Moapa Indian Reservation.
Public Law 96-491 · S. 1135 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 2, 1980 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. Howard Cannon (D-NV)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Paul Laxalt
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.
Adds specified lands to the Moapa Indian Reservation, Moapa, Nevada, to be held in trust by the United States for the benefit and use of the Moapa Band of Paiutes. Declares that such lands are subject to a right-of-way which shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior and that all payments of fees for the use of such right-of-way shall be made for the benefit of the Moapa Band of Paiutes.
States that nothing in this Act shall deprive any person or entity of any valid existing right-of-way, mining claim, grazing permit, or water right, including any water rights with respect to the Muddy River as decreed by an order of the district court of the State of Nevada on March 12, 1920.
Reserves to the United States all minerals on such transferred lands which are subject to the Mineral Leasing Act and the right to enter upon such lands and remove such minerals.
Allows restricted lands (whether tribally or individually owned) of such Band to be leased, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, by the Indian owners for a term of 99 years or less.
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.
- Dec 2, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-491.
- Nov 26, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Nov 25, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Nov 20, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Nov 17, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H. R. 5584.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 24, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 23, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Sep 17, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- May 15, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources 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.