A bill to authorize the exchange of certain land held in trust by the United States for the Navajo Tribe, and for other purposes.
Public Law 97-428 · H.R. 4001 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jan 8, 1983 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Rep. Joseph Skeen (R-NM-2)
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.
Authorizes the exchange of certain land in New Mexico, held in trust by the United States for the Navajo Tribe, for certain other land in New Mexico owned by specified persons.
Makes a technical amendment to a specified Federal law relating to the partitioning of certain restricted Indian land in the State of Kansas.
Amends the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 to provide that any member of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians in or near the Town of Houlton, Maine, shall be eligible for any special programs and services by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians, without regard to the existence of a reservation or of the residence of such member on or near a reservation.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · hearings by (full committee), markup by, referred to, reported by
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 8, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-428.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jan 3, 1983PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 20, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments.
- Dec 17, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Sep 29, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Feb 11, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Dec 15, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Nov 20, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 20, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 23, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.