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A bill to authorize the exchange of certain land held by the Navajo Tribe and the Bureau of Land Management, and for other purposes.

Public Law 97-287 · H.R. 3589 · 97th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 6, 1982 · Native Americans

Sponsor: Rep. Joseph Skeen (R-NM-2)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Manuel Luján

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Authorizes the Navajo Tribe, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, to exchange its surface interests in certain lands in New Mexico for surface interests in specified lands in New Mexico. Provides that such land be held in trust by the United States for the Tribe and that specified rights of third parties be preserved.

Subjects the lands transferred to the Tribe pursuant to this Act to such rights-of-way as the Secretary considers necessary to provide access to adjoining or nearby Federal lands. Directs the Secretary to consult with the Tribe as to the location and scope of any such right-of-way.

Prohibits any such land exchange if, at the time such exchange is proposed, the value of the Tribe's interests in those lands exceeds by more than 125 percent the value of the interests in lands which the Tribe would receive.

Provides for excess value payments by the Secretary to the Tribe, or by the Tribe to the United States, where appropriate. Authorizes appropriations for such payments by the Secretary.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 11 actions.

  1. Oct 6, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-287.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 29, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 23, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Voice Vote.
  5. Aug 20, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. Jul 19, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
  7. Jun 21, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
  8. Mar 24, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
  9. Oct 20, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by House Natural Resources Committee
  10. May 13, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  11. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.