[Report No. 119–858]
April 23, 2026
Mr. Issa introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
October 29, 2026
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic
For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 23, 2026
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
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 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.