An Act pertaining to the inheritance of trust or restricted land on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, North Dakota and South Dakota, and for other purposes.
Public Law 98-513 · S. 2663 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 19, 1984 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. James Abdnor (R-SD)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Larry Pressler
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Declares that this Act preempts the State inheritance laws of North or South Dakota regarding specified trust lands within the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation (the reservation).
Restricts the right to receive inheritance interests in trust or restricted lands within the reservation to members of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux of North and South Dakota.
Sets forth guidelines under which specified eligible heirs shall inherit interests in trust or restricted lands.
Restricts nonmember surviving heirs to a life estate, subject to specified conditions.
Precludes the inheritance of any interest in trust or restricted lands if such interest is less than two and one-half acres. Passes such interest to the tribe, with title taken in the United States as trustee.
Passes inheritance interests of prohibited heirs to the tribe, with title taken in the United States as trustee.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to partition, upon request, certain undivided interests in trust or restricted lands within the reservation. Prohibits such partitions from leaving the fair market value of the remaining lands less than the fair market value of the land owners' interests prior to the partition.
Prohibits the issue of patents in fee for partitioned lands until ten years after the new trust patents have been issued.
Authorizes the tribe to exercise powers of eminent domain over trust or restricted lands. States that the final judgment of the tribal court in favor of the tribe in a condemnation action is conclusive as to the tribal interest in the trust or restricted lands. Provides for judicial review of the tribal court condemnation decision in the appropriate Federal district court.
Authorizes the Secretary to acquire interests in the trust or restricted lands for certain purposes. States the United States shall hold such acquired interests in trust for the tribe.
Requires the Secretary to collect estate taxes and make such taxes payable to the tribe.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Indian Affairs Committee · Senate · 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. 13 actions.
- Oct 19, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-513.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 10, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 4, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 3, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 18, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Sep 11, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Jun 21, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- May 10, 1984CommitteeCommittee · 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.