HB2400, titled the Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025, would take approximately 583.79 acres of federally managed Forest Service land in California into trust for the benefit of the Pit River Tribe. The bill identifies the land by reference to a Forest Service map and excludes about 20.03 acres of roads, highways, and public rights-of-way subject to existing easements. It also requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide a complete survey of the land within 180 days after enactment.
Once transferred into trust, the land would be treated as part of the Pit River Tribe Reservation and administered under the laws and regulations that generally apply to Indian trust land. The bill expressly prohibits the land from being used for Class II or Class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The measure defines the Pit River Tribe to include the XL Ranch, Big Bend, Likely, Lookout, Montgomery Creek, and Roaring Creek Rancherias.
Impact
The bill would change the legal status of the specified federal land from Forest Service management to trust land held by the United States for the benefit of the Pit River Tribe. That shift would remove the acreage from ordinary federal land administration and place it under the framework governing Indian trust property, while preserving valid existing rights and excluding certain road and right-of-way areas. It would also prevent gaming development on the transferred land, limiting potential future uses and clarifying that the transfer is for tribal land restoration rather than casino expansion.
Sentiment
The available record suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill, as it was passed by the House of Representatives. The committee context shows that the bill received hearings in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, indicating active consideration rather than opposition-driven stagnation. No vote breakdowns or transcript excerpts are available, so the public record here does not show detailed debate, but the overall posture appears supportive of the land-into-trust transfer.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are the transfer of federal land out of Forest Service control, the implications of placing land into tribal trust status, and any concerns about future land use. The bill addresses one likely source of concern by explicitly barring Class II and Class III gaming on the transferred land. Another possible issue is the effect on roads, highways, easements, and other existing rights, which the bill preserves by excluding those areas and making the transfer subject to valid existing rights. No specific objections from members or stakeholders are included in the provided materials.