An act to provide for the use and distribution of funds awarded to the Blackfeet and Gros Ventre Tribes of Indians and the Assiniboine Tribe of Fort Belknap Indian Community, in certain dockets of the United States Court of Claims and of funds awarded to the Papago Tribe of Arizona in dockets numbered 345 and 102 of the Indian Claims Commission, and for other purposes.
Public Law 97-408 · S. 1986 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jan 3, 1983 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. John Melcher (D-MT)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- 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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(Senate agreed to House amendment with an amendment)
Provides for the use and distribution of funds awarded in specified cases by the United States Court of Claims to: (1) the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Reservation, Montana; (2) the Assiniboine Tribe of the Fort Belknap Indian Community, Montana; (3) the Gros Ventre Tribe of the Fort Belknap Indian Community, Montana; and (4) the Papago Tribe of Arizona.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to prescribe rules and regulations to carry out this Act, including the establishment of deadlines for filing applications for enrollment.
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.
- Jan 3, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-408.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 22, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 17, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments.
- Dec 16, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in House amendments with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Dec 6, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 30, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 29, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 8, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 19, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Jul 6, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- May 13, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Dec 16, 1981CommitteeCommittee · 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.