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The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced that the 2024 amendments to the Gaming Compact between the Ho Chunk Nation and the State of Wisconsin have been automatically approved by law. These amendments allow for new forms of gaming, such as event wagering and geofenced remote wagering, and introduce updated internal control standards and changes in payment deduction rules. This approval occurred because the Secretary of the Interior did not act within the required 45-day period, making the amendments effective starting January 8, 2025, as long as they comply with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs announced that an amendment to the Tribal-State compact for class III gaming between the Chitimacha Tribe and the State of Louisiana has been approved by law. This amendment extends the compact's term by seven years and raises the dollar amount for Tribal licensing and State certification of vendors to the Tribe's gaming facilities. The approval took effect automatically since the Secretary of the Interior did not act within the required 45-day review period set by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is announcing proposed adjustments to the irrigation assessment rates for irrigation projects on or associated with Indian reservations in the United States. These adjustments aim to recover costs for administration, operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation necessary for managing these projects. Stakeholders are invited to submit their comments on these adjustments before February 24, 2025. The changes are scheduled to take effect in the calendar year 2026, and further information on the projects and rates can be sought through BIA's regional offices.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) plans to repatriate 984 cultural items to certain Native American tribes, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Cherokee Nation, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. These items, mostly ceramic vessel fragments, were removed from a site in Qualla Boundary, North Carolina, between 1935 and 1936 without permission and are considered unassociated funerary objects. Repatriation may take place after May 19, 2025, and requests for repatriation can be made by other eligible tribes or descendants who can prove a cultural connection. The process follows the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior Department has announced that about 56.66 acres of land have been officially added to the Rincon Reservation for the Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians in San Diego, California. This proclamation was made on December 17, 2024, by the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs, under the authority granted by the Secretary of the Interior. While the land is recognized as part of the reservation, this action does not alter existing rights or easements for public utilities and transportation present on the land.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has announced that nearly 200 acres of land in Maverick County, Texas, have been officially added to the reservation for the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas. This decision was made by the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs under the authority given by the Secretary of the Interior. The land is specifically described using legal boundaries, and the addition does not change any existing rights or easements on the land, such as roads or utilities.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs announced the approval of several Tribal-State gaming compacts in California, which govern the operation of class III gaming activities for certain Native American tribes. The compacts with tribes, including the Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, were automatically approved by law because the Secretary of the Interior did not review them within the 45-day period required by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. These approvals only apply to parts of the compacts that comply with federal law. The compacts take effect on December 26, 2024.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Interior Department announced the approval of the Second Amendment to the Tribal-State Compact for Class III Gaming between the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and the State of Washington. This amendment, published in the Federal Register, allows the tribe to operate more player terminals, enhance its contribution to problem gambling efforts, and accept new forms of payment. It also designates the Cowlitz Tribal Court for certain legal purposes and incorporates state gaming regulations. The changes will officially go into effect on January 12, 2021.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs published a notice about changes to the Liquor Ordinance for the Blackfeet Tribe on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana. The amendment, effective January 21, 2025, updates regulations on the sale and control of alcoholic beverages. It aims to manage the sale of liquor to ensure public welfare and safety, with restrictions on who can sell alcohol and strict rules about when and where it can be sold. The ordinance also establishes penalties for violations and outlines conditions under which alcoholic beverage licenses can be granted or revoked.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs, part of the Interior Department, issued a final rule on inflation adjustments for civil monetary penalties, effective January 28, 2021. This rule is part of an annual process mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, which aims to keep penalties effective in deterring violations by adjusting for inflation. Using guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Bureau calculated the 2021 cost-of-living adjustment to be 1.01182%. These updated penalties apply to violations occurring after November 2, 2015.