WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

S 105

Enacts the "consumer and small business protection act"

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jamaal Bailey and 29 co-sponsors

Directs the Interior to place about 40 acres at Wounded Knee under restricted fee status for the Oglala and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes, preserving it as a memorial/sacred site wit

REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 105

Summary — S. 105 (119th Congress): Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act

Note on source materials: The supplied metadata contains conflicting entries (a different bill title, a Massachusetts State S.105 concerning foster‑care benefits, and various referral notes). This summary focuses on the federal S.105 for which the accompanying Senate report (S. Rept. 119‑71) and bill text were provided — the “Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act,” introduced January 15, 2025 by Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune.

Purpose and intent

S. 105 directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete actions necessary to place approximately 40 acres of the Wounded Knee massacre site into “restricted fee status” for the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The intent is to preserve the land as a memorial and sacred site and to clarify its legal status and uses.

Key provisions

  • Short title: “Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act.”
  • Definitions: Establishes terms including “restricted fee status,” “Tribal land” (about 40 acres on Pine Ridge Reservation, including surface/subsurface and improvements), “Tribes” (Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe), and “Secretary” (Secretary of the Interior).
  • Secretary’s actions: Requires the Secretary to complete all necessary actions (including documentation and minor survey/legal description corrections) and assign applicable utility/service rights within 365 days after enactment.
  • Restricted fee status specifics:
    • Land remains owned by the Tribes and is part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
    • Tribal civil and criminal jurisdiction applies (reference to Indian country, 18 U.S.C. §1151).
    • The land cannot be transferred without consent of Congress and the Tribes.
    • Not subject to state or local taxation.
    • Uses are limited to those in the October 21, 2022 covenant between the two Tribes (hold and maintain as memorial/sacred site; no commercial development).
    • The land may not be used for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (per the covenant).
  • Encumbrances: The land remains subject to existing encumbrances, rights‑of‑way, easements, and utility agreements in place at enactment.

Who is affected

  • Primary: Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (owners and beneficiaries of the protected status).
  • Federal agencies: Department of the Interior (implementation), and any federal entities with jurisdictional or regulatory roles on Indian country matters.
  • Local/state governments: lose taxation authority over the specified parcel; limited ability to affect land use.
  • Private parties: existing recorded encumbrances and rights remain in force.

Legislative and procedural status (selected)

  • Introduced in Senate: January 15, 2025 (Senators Rounds and Thune).
  • Committee on Indian Affairs ordered reported favorably without amendment: March 5, 2025.
  • Senate report filed: S. Rept. 119‑71 (ordered printed October 2, 2025). Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar (Calendar No. 176) on October 2, 2025.
  • Companion/related: H.R. 165 (companion) passed House 416–0 on January 21, 2025.

Potential impacts

  • Legal permanence: Establishes a federal mechanism to secure long‑term protective status for a culturally sensitive historic site.
  • Tribal sovereignty: Reinforces tribal ownership and jurisdiction over the site while restricting sale/alienation and commercialization (including gaming).
  • Local fiscal: Removes local/state taxation on the parcel (limited fiscal effect given small acreage).
  • Implementation workload: Department of the Interior required to complete administrative land‑status actions and utility assignments within one year.

If you want, I can (1) produce a short one‑paragraph explainer for a general audience, (2) list the exact statutory language changes and code citations, or (3) summarize the separate Massachusetts S.105 (foster‑care benefits) that appeared in the materials.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.