The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that would allow the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to consolidate its land holdings.
At issue is tribal land comprising more than 400 acres next to the tribe’s reservation near Tucson.
After purchasing the land from the state, the tribe applied to have it placed into trust by the federal government.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs, which operates under the Department of Interior, approved the tribe’s application for trust status but the state objected, said Natalie Luna, a spokeswoman for Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona’s 7th District, who sponsored the legislation.
The measure, which also directs the government to transfer other federally owned mineral rights into trust for the tribe, now awaits a final vote in the Senate.
The legislation would enable the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to have control over development of its land, Grijalva said.
Outside a casino, he said the tribe can pursue housing or commercial ventures.
The tribe is expected to pay the state fair market value for the mineral rights, Mr. Grijalva.