Poarch Band of Creek Indians Parity Act

Poarch Band of Creek Indians Parity Act

This bill applies the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Additionally, the bill reaffirms previous decisions by the Department of the Interior to take land into trust for the tribe under the IRA.

A 2009 Supreme Court case, Carcieri v. Salazar, decided that Interior could not take land into trust for a specified tribe because that tribe had not been under federal jurisdiction when the IRA was enacted in 1934. This bill (1) affirms the applicability of the IRA to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, thereby deeming the tribe to be under federal jurisdiction as of June 18, 1934, for purposes of the IRA; and (2) reaffirms prior decisions by Interior to take land into trust for the benefit of the tribe.