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[DOCID: f:h2085ih.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2085

 To protect Native American sacred sites located within the Valley of 
                Chiefs, Montana, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 6, 2001

Mr. Rahall (for himself, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Kildee, Mr. George Miller of 
    California, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, and Mr. Faleomavaega) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To protect Native American sacred sites located within the Valley of 
                Chiefs, Montana, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Valley of Chiefs Native American 
Sacred Site Preservation Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. APPLICABILITY OF MINERAL MINING, LEASING, AND DISPOSAL LAWS.

    (a) Reference.--Any reference in this Act to the ``Valley of 
Chiefs'' is a reference to the Weatherman Draw Area of Critical 
Environmental Concern located in Carbon County, Montana, designated by 
the Bureau of Land Management pursuant to a document entitled ``Areas 
of Critical Environmental Concern, Decision Record and Approved 
Amendment of the Billings, Powder River and South Dakota Resource 
Management Plans'' dated March 1999, United States Department of the 
Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Billings Field Office.
    (b) Restriction.--After the date of enactment of this Act--
            (1) lands within the Valley of Chiefs shall not be open to 
        the location of mining claims, mill, and tunnel sites under the 
        general mining laws of the United States;
            (2) the Secretary of the Interior shall not issue any lease 
        under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 and following) or 
        the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 100 and following) 
        for lands within the Valley of Chiefs; and
            (3) lands within the Valley of Chiefs shall not be 
        available for disposal of mineral materials under the Act of 
        July 31, 1947, commonly known as the Materials Act of 1947 (30 
        U.S.C. 601 and following).
    (c) Deadline for Permit Application Approvals.--After June 6, 2001, 
the Secretary of the Interior shall not approve any application for a 
permit to drill for any lease issued under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 
U.S.C. 181 and following) within the Valley of Chiefs.
                                 <all>

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