Introduced in Senate

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 5694 Introduced in Senate (IS)] 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5694 To take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Barona Reservation, California, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 9, 2026 Mr. Padilla (for himself and Mr. Schiff) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Barona Reservation, California, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. LAND TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST FOR THE BARONA GROUP OF CAPITAN

SEC. 2. LAND TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST FOR THE BARONA GROUP OF CAPITAN GRANDE BAND OF MISSION INDIANS. (a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights and the conditions described in subsections (c) and (d)-- (1) administrative jurisdiction of Parcels 2 and 3 is transferred to the Secretary; and (2) the covered land is taken into trust for the benefit of the Tribe. (b) Administration.-- (1) In general.--The land taken into trust under subsection (a) shall be-- (A) part of the reservation of the Tribe; and (B) administered in accordance with the laws and regulations generally applicable to property held in trust by the United States for the benefit of an Indian Tribe. (2) Forest service access.--The Forest Service shall retain administrative vehicular access across the land transferred under this Act. (3) Minor adjustments.--The Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture may, by mutual agreement, make minor corrections and adjustments to the land transfer under this Act to facilitate land management, including corrections and adjustments to any applicable maps or surveys. (c) Maps and Boundaries.-- (1) Official map.--Before the transfer of administrative jurisdiction under subsection (a), the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall jointly prepare, review, approve, and maintain an official map depicting the covered land taken into trust. (2) Map on file.--The official map prepared under paragraph (1) shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture. (d) Access.--The land taken into trust under subsection (a) shall be subject to-- (1) all valid liens, rights-of-way, reciprocal road rights- of-way agreements, licenses, leases, permits, special use permits, and easements existing on the date of the enactment of this Act; (2) the continuing right of the public to access the land for recreational, scenic, scientific, and conservation uses, to motorized access to roads, and to recreational access to trails, including Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service trails codesignated for public passage, existing on the date of the enactment of this Act, subject to rules and regulations in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act; (3) such rights-of-way as the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, considers necessary to provide employees of the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service access for operational and emergency purposes, including-- (A) search and rescue; (B) wildfire suppression; (C) health safety evacuation operations; and (D) necessary administration purposes such as resource management, maintenance, fuels management, monitoring, and law enforcement activities; (4) the authority of the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation and coordination with the Tribe, to carry out fuels reduction or other landscape restoration activities on the land, including the maintenance of any fuel break existing on the date of the enactment of this Act; and (5) upon request of the Secretary of Agriculture, the grant by the Tribe or the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as appropriate, without consideration, of such easements and rights-of-way as are necessary to provide the Forest Service continued access to the land for the purposes described in paragraphs (3) and (4). (e) Maintenance of Fuel Break.--The Tribe shall be responsible for maintaining the fuel break within Parcels 2 and 3 in accordance with applicable Forest Service standards. (f) Gaming Prohibited.--The land taken into trust under subsection (a) shall not be used for any class II gaming or class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (as those terms are defined in section 4 of that Act (25 U.S.C. 2703)). (g) Water Rights; Access.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to-- (1) alter, or require the alteration of, any existing water rights or service agreements; or (2) diminish existing Forest Service administrative access across lands transferred under this Act. (h) Definitions.--In this Act: (1) Covered land.--The term ``covered land'' means all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to Parcel 1 and Parcels 2 and 3. (2) Parcel 1.--The term ``Parcel 1'' means the

approximately 164 acres of land generally depicted as ``Bureau of Land Management Parcel 1 (164 Acres)'' on the Transfer Map. (3) Parcels 2 and 3.--The term ``Parcels 2 and 3'' means the approximately 683 acres of land generally depicted as ``Forest Service Parcels 2 (168 acres) & 3 (515 acres)'' on the Transfer Map, including the area depicted as ``Fuel Break'' within the boundary of that area. (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior. (5) Transfer map.--The term ``Transfer Map'' means the map titled ``Barona Land Transfer Proposal'' prepared by the Forest Service. (6) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Barona Reservation, California.