Cherokee Leasing Act
Public Law 99-221 · S. 1728 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 26, 1985 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. Don Nickles (R-OK)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. David Boren
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.
Cherokee Leasing Act - Authorizes the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to lease restricted lands, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, for public, religious, educational, recreational, residential, or business purposes for a term not to exceed 99 years.
Amends the Indian Self-Determination Act to extend from 1985 to 1988 the eligibility for specified Federal benefits by Federal employees who leave Government employment to be employed by a tribal organization.
Amends the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code to provide that service performed by an individual for a tribal organization shall be considered Federal service if such individual returns to Federal service.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · discharged from, referred to
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. 17 actions.
- Dec 26, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-221.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 18, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 17, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Ways and Means Committee
- Dec 9, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Ways and Means Committee
- Dec 3, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Nov 19, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Nov 7, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Oct 23, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Oct 2, 1985CommitteeCommittee · 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.