S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7759--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 6, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. JONES -- (at request of the Governor) -- read
   once and referred to  the  Committee  on  Governmental  Operations  --
   committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT relating to settlement of certain land claims

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Land claims settlement. The legislature hereby finds that
 long-standing disputes between the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, the  Mohawk
 Council  of  Akwesasne, and the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs, and the
 state of New York, Franklin county and St. Lawrence county, have  gener-
 ated litigation in state and federal courts regarding property and other
 taxation,  and  that  the  status  of Mohawk lands has caused decades of
 unrest and uncertainty for the citizens and residents  of  the  Northern
 New  York region of this state. The legislature further finds that it is
 in the best interests of all citizens, residents and political  subdivi-
 sions  of  this  state to remove any uncertainty that such litigation or
 disputes have created regarding the title to and  jurisdictional  status
 of  land  within  the  state. The legislature recognizes that negotiated
 settlement of these disputes will facilitate a cooperative  relationship
 between  the state, the counties and the Mohawk. Therefore, the legisla-
 ture declares that:
   (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the state,  through  the  governor,
 may execute a land claims settlement agreement including, but not limit-
 ed  to,  terms  considerably  consistent with memoranda of understanding
 between the governor, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe  and  Saint  Lawrence
 county  executed  on  May 28, 2014 and Resolution 188, as adopted by the
 Franklin County Board of Legislature on June 5, 2023.
   (b) Such land claims settlement shall be deemed ratified by the legis-
 lature upon the governor's certification to the temporary  president  of
 the  senate,  the  speaker  of the assembly, and the secretary of state,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD12015-07-3
              

 A. 7759--A                          2
 
 that such agreement has received requisite  federal  approvals  and  the
 underlying litigation has been dismissed with prejudice.
   (c)  Except  as  otherwise specifically provided in the agreement, the
 state specifically reserves all its rights, as attributes of its  inher-
 ent  sovereignty, recognized by the tenth and eleventh amendments to the
 United States Constitution. Nothing in this section shall  be  construed
 to  affect the existing authority of the governor under the constitution
 and laws of this state to execute land claims settlements.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.