S. 1513Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act

Introduced April 29, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated September 17, 2026 at 4:22 AM UTC

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act transfers about 1,082 acres of federal land in Olympic National Park, Washington, into trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, making it part of their reservation. The land is exempt from valuation or equalization requirements and is managed under existing river protection rules. The bill also bars gaming on the transferred land and confirms that treaty rights are unchanged.

Key Provisions

  • ~1,082 acres of federal land in Olympic National Park are placed in trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and become part of the tribe’s reservation.
  • The transferred land is not subject to federal valuation, appraisal, or equalization requirements.
  • The portion of the Elwha River on the land is managed according to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, with modifications allowed under the Elwha River Restoration Act.
  • The Secretary of the Interior may conduct a survey, make minor boundary adjustments, and correct map errors for the trust land.
  • The land cannot be used for Indian gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
  • The act does not affect any treaty rights of the tribe.

Legislative Activity

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5 earlier actions
SenateCalendars Latest Action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 554.

September 14, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

April 29, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

April 29, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.

December 17, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

May 20, 2026

SenateCommittee

Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Armstrong for Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 119-135.

September 14, 2026

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 554.

September 14, 2026

Bill Text

2 versions available

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Latest
Reported to SenateIssued September 14, 2026

II

Calendar No. 554

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 1513

[Report No. 119–135]

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 29, 2025

Ms. Cantwell (for herself and Mrs. Murray) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

September 14, 2026

Reported by Mr. Armstrong (for himself and Ms. Murkowski), without amendment

A BILL

To take certain Federal land in the State of Washington into trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act.

2.

Land taken into trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Reservation

The term Reservation means the Lower Elwha Indian Reservation, also known as the Lower Elwha Reservation, located in the State of Washington.

(2)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

(3)

Tribe

The term Tribe means the Lower Elwha Tribal Community, also known as the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, located in the State of Washington.

(b)

Land held in trust

(1)

In general

Subject to all valid existing rights of the United States, the approximately 1,082.63 acres of Federal land generally depicted as NPS Parcels to be Transferred to Tribe on the map entitled Olympic National Park Proposed Transfer of Elwha Lands, numbered 149/178020, and dated December 2021 is hereby taken into and held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe.

(2)

Inclusion in reservation

The land taken into trust under paragraph (1) shall be part of the Reservation.

(3)

Law applicable to certain land

The land taken into trust under paragraph (1) shall not be subject to any requirements for valuation, appraisal, or equalization under any Federal law.

(c)

Land management

Of the land taken into and held in trust under subsection (b)(1), the portion of the Elwha River subject to section 3(c)(3) of the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act (Public Law 102–495; 106 Stat. 3175) shall be managed in accordance with subsection (b) of the first section of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1271), except for necessary modifications under section 3(c)(3) of the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act (Public Law 102–495; 106 Stat. 3175).

(d)

Map and survey

(1)

Boundary adjustment; survey

As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a survey to define the boundaries of the land taken into and held in trust under subsection (b)(1).

(2)

Adjustments

The Secretary may—

(A)

make minor boundary adjustments to the land taken into and held in trust under subsection (b)(1); and

(B)

correct any minor errors in any map, acreage estimate, or description of that land.

(e)

Gaming prohibition

No land taken into and held in trust for the benefit of the Tribe under this section shall be considered Indian lands for the purpose of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.).

3.

No impact on treaty rights

Nothing in this Act affects treaty rights under the Treaty between the United States of America and the S'Klallams Indians, concluded at Point no Point, Washington Territory, January 26, 1855 (12 Stat. 933) (commonly known as the Treaty of Point No Point).

September 14, 2026

Reported without amendment