Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 42 : Section 1996


   

U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 1996 - Notes
                                   SOURCE
    (Pub. L. 95-341, Sec. 1, Aug. 11, 1978, 92 Stat. 469.)
                       SHORT TITLE OF 1994 AMENDMENT                   
      Pub. L. 103-344, Sec. 1, Oct. 6, 1994, 108 Stat. 3125, provided
    that: "This Act [enacting section 1996a of this title] may be cited
    as the 'American Indian Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 1994'."
                  EX. ORD. NO. 13007. INDIAN SACRED SITES              
      Ex. Ord. No. 13007, May 24, 1996, 61 F.R. 26771, provided:
      By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution
    and the laws of the United States, in furtherance of Federal
    treaties, and in order to protect and preserve Indian religious
    practices, it is hereby ordered:
      Section 1. Accommodation of Sacred Sites. (a) In managing Federal
    lands, each executive branch agency with statutory or
    administrative responsibility for the management of Federal lands
    shall, to the extent practicable, permitted by law, and not clearly
    inconsistent with essential agency functions, (1) accommodate
    access to and ceremonial use of Indian sacred sites by Indian
    religious practitioners and (2) avoid adversely affecting the
    physical integrity of such sacred sites. Where appropriate,
    agencies shall maintain the confidentiality of sacred sites.
      (b) For purposes of this order:
      (i) "Federal lands" means any land or interests in land owned by
    the United States, including leasehold interests held by the United
    States, except Indian trust lands;
      (ii) "Indian tribe" means an Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band,
    nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the
    Interior acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe pursuant to
    Public Law No. 103-454, 108 Stat. 4791 [see 25 U.S.C. 479a,
    479a-1], and "Indian" refers to a member of such an Indian tribe;
    and
      (iii) "Sacred site" means any specific, discrete, narrowly
    delineated location on Federal land that is identified by an Indian
    tribe, or Indian individual determined to be an appropriately
    authoritative representative of an Indian religion, as sacred by
    virtue of its established religious significance to, or ceremonial
    use by, an Indian religion; provided that the tribe or
    appropriately authoritative representative of an Indian religion
    has informed the agency of the existence of such a site.
      Sec. 2. Procedures. (a) Each executive branch agency with
    statutory or administrative responsibility for the management of
    Federal lands shall, as appropriate, promptly implement procedures
    for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of section 1 of
    this order, including, where practicable and appropriate,
    procedures to ensure reasonable notice is provided of proposed
    actions or land management policies that may restrict future access
    to or ceremonial use of, or adversely affect the physical integrity
    of, sacred sites. In all actions pursuant to this section, agencies
    shall comply with the Executive memorandum of April 29, 1994,
    "Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal
    Governments" [25 U.S.C. 450 note].
      (b) Within 1 year of the effective date of this order, the head
    of each executive branch agency with statutory or administrative
    responsibility for the management of Federal lands shall report to
    the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic
    Policy, on the implementation of this order. Such reports shall
    address, among other things, (i) any changes necessary to
    accommodate access to and ceremonial use of Indian sacred sites;
    (ii) any changes necessary to avoid adversely affecting the
    physical integrity of Indian sacred sites; and (iii) procedures
    implemented or proposed to facilitate consultation with appropriate
    Indian tribes and religious leaders and the expeditious resolution
    of disputes relating to agency action on Federal lands that may
    adversely affect access to, ceremonial use of, or the physical
    integrity of sacred sites.
      Sec. 3. Nothing in this order shall be construed to require a
    taking of vested property interests. Nor shall this order be
    construed to impair enforceable rights to use of Federal lands that
    have been granted to third parties through final agency action. For
    purposes of this order, "agency action" has the same meaning as in
    the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551(13)).
      Sec. 4. This order is intended only to improve the internal
    management of the executive branch and is not intended to, nor does
    it, create any right, benefit, or trust responsibility, substantive
    or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by any party against
    the United States, its agencies, officers, or any person.
                                                     William J. Clinton.
                   SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS               
      This section is referred to in sections 1996a, 11701 of this
    title; title 16 sections 410aaa-75, 460uu-47, 460jjj-1, 470ii,
    543f, 698v-6; title 20 sections 4424, 7512.

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