The proposed rules require tribes with
Indian gaming facilities (approximately 226) to submit Indian lands
information and notice to the NIGC before licensing a new gaming
operation. Facility license renewals must be submitted with a list
of applicalbe environmental and public health and safety laws and a
certification the tribe is in compliance with those laws. Tribes
must notify NIGC if a license is revoked or a facilty
closes.
US Code:
25
USC 2701 Name of Law: Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
First, the name and address of
the future facility are needed by the NIGC in order to identify the
site and are needed for the agencys Indian lands database. Second,
the NIGC is constrained in its attempts to research the gaming
eligibility status of a site under the IGRA without a legal
description. Although many deeds and ownership documentation are
maintained at BIA Land Title & Records Offices, without
information from a tribe regarding the address, legal description
and LTRO tract number, where gaming is to be conducted, the NIGC
cannot reliably or efficiently know which deeds to request.
Previous requests to the BIA indicate that the BIA is often unable
to assist the NIGC without a legal description and tract number of
the land. The legal description and LTRO tract number also allows
the NIGC to work with the BIA to verify, for example, whether land
is within or contiguous to 1988 reservation boundaries, is within
an Oklahoma former reservation, or is within the last reservation
boundaries not in Oklahoma. See 25 U.S.C. §§ 2703(4), 2719. Third,
the NIGC is requesting that tribes submit deeds or other trust
documents not maintained by the BIA. Tribes often operate their own
real estate offices and maintain their trust deeds themselves. If
no deed was ever issued for the property, the tribe must write a
short explanation of why no deed exists. If the deed or other trust
document is maintained by the BIA, the NIGC requests the Tribe
provide the tract number, if available, to ensure accurate
information about the parcel where gaming will occur. Moreover, if
land is owned in fee, the tribe should have obtained a copy of the
deed in the course of developing the new project. Documentation of
ownership indicates that the land is owned by the tribe or a tribal
member and is an indication of jurisdiction. A tribe is required to
have jurisdiction and exercise governmental power over its gaming
lands. See 25 U.S.C. §§ 2703(4), 2710(b)(1). The Commission
presumes that a tribe has both jurisdiction and exercises
governmental power on its reservation lands but needs to verify
these two elements for all off-reservation sites as they are
threshold requirements for tracts to be considered Indian lands. 25
U.S.C. §§ 2703(4), 2710, and 2719. Second, the NIGC needs to obtain
information on a tribes environmental and public health and safety
laws to oversee the implementation of approved tribal gaming
ordinances. Before opening a gaming operation, a tribe must adopt
an ordinance governing gaming activities on its Indian lands. 25
U.S.C. § 2710. The Act specifies a number of mandatory provisions
to be contained in each tribal gaming ordinance and subjects such
ordinances to agency review and the NIGC Chairman's approval. Id.
Approval by the Chairman is predicated on the inclusion of each of
the specified mandatory provisions in the tribal gaming ordinance.
Id. Among these is a requirement that the ordinance must contain a
provision ensuring that "the construction and maintenance of the
gaming operation, and the operation of that gaming is conducted in
a manner that adequately protects the environment and the public
health and safety," 25 U.S.C. § 2710(b)(2)(E). Since 1993, when the
Commission became operational, the Chairman has required each
tribal gaming ordinance submitted for approval to include the
express environmental and public health and safety statement set
out in 25 U.S.C. § 2710(b)(2)(E).
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.