,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cbc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #ah1 #bjac  
,mr4 ,miller of ,florida introduced the 
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources   
,a ,,bill  ,to extend ,federal          
recognition to the ,muscogee ,nation of 
,florida4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,muscogee ,nation of
 ,florida ,federal ,recognition ,act4   
#b4 ,findings ,congress finds that--    
7#a7 the ,muscogee ,nation of ,florida  
is comprised of lineal descendants of   
persons who were historically part of   
the ,creek ,confederacy1 which relocated
 from ,daleville1 ,alabama1 and other   
areas of southern ,alabama to the ,state
 of ,florida between #ahab and #ahhg2   
7#b7 those ,creek persons settled in the
 north ,florida panhandle in autonomous 
communities 7referred to in the         
constitution of the ,muscogee ,nation as
 ,townships71 continuing the lifestyle  
and traditions practiced by the historic

 ,creek ,nation of ,alabama and         
,georgia2  7#c7 7,a7 on dissolution of  
the ,creek ,confederacy1 the ancestors  
of current members of the ,muscogee     
,nation of ,florida relocated and       
reestablished home sites1 traditions1   
ceremonial centers1 tribal government   
7including through the traditional      
appointment of tribal leaders71 and     
tribal economy in rural areas of the    
,state of ,florida2  7,b7 the relocation
 described in subparagraph 7,a7 did not 
prevent the ,nation from--  7i7         
continuing to exercise the governing    
powers of the ,nation2  7ii7 providing  
services to members of the ,nation2 or  
7iii7 enjoying the communal lifestyle of
 the ,nation2 and  7,c7 some members of 
the ,nation remain on original home     
sites of their ,creek ancestors2  7#d7  
members of the ,nation--  7,a7          
participated in the #ahad ,treaty of    
,ft4 ,jackson and the ,apalachicola     
,treaty of ,october #aa1 #ahcb2 and     
7,b7 were included in the               

,abbott-,parsons ,creek ,census1 dated  
#ahcb and #ahcc2  7#e7 members of the   
,nation have established an ancestral   
claim to land taken from the ,nation by 
,general ,andrew ,jackson in the        
aftermath of the ,war of #ahab pursuant 
to the #ahad ,treaty of ,ft4 ,jackson2  
7#f7 beginning in #aiga1 the ,secretary 
of the ,interior distributed to members 
of the ,nation in #c actions per capita 
payments for land claim settlements2    
7#g7 7,a7 in #aigd1 the ,state of       
,florida established the ,northwest     
,florida ,creek ,indian ,council to     
manage issues relating to ,creek        
,indians in northwest ,florida2 and     
7,b7 in #aigh1 the ,council held an     
election for representatives to the     
tribal government known as the ,florida 
,tribe of ,eastern ,creek ,indians1     
which is now the ,muscogee ,nation of   
,florida2  7#h7 the community of ,bruce 
in ,walton ,county1 ,florida1 has been a
 governing center for the ,nation for   
more than #aej years2  7#i7 in the      

community of ,bruce1 the ,nation--  7,a7
 beginning in the early #ahfjs1 used and
 maintained the ,antioch ,cemetery1     
which remains in use by members of the  
,nation as of the date of enactment of  
this ,act2  7,b7 between #ahie and      
#aidg1 maintained a school that was     
attended by members of the ,nation2     
7,c7 in #aiab1 established a church that
 is recognized by the ,methodist        
,conference as a ,native ,american      
church2 and  7,d7 maintained a          
ceremonial area on ,bruce ,creek that   
was attended until the late #aibjs2     
7#aj7 the ceremonial area of the        
,nation1 as in existence on the date of 
enactment of this ,act--  7,a7 is       
located in the community of             
,blountstown1 ,florida1 one of the      
reservations referred to in the         
,apalachicola ,treaty of ,october #aa1  
#ahcb2 and  7,b7 is the site of         
continuing ceremonies1 such as ,green   
,corn1 and traditional events2  7#aa7   
local governments have recognized the   

community of ,bruce as the center of    
tribal government of the ,nation2 and   
7#ab7 during the #cj-year period        
preceding the date of enactment of this 
,act1 the ,nation has received ,federal1
 ,state1 and local grants1 and entered  
into contracts1 to provide services and 
benefits to members of the ,nation4  #c4
 ,definitions ,in this ,act3  7#a7      
,member ,the term member means--  7,a7  
an individual who is an enrolled member 
of the ,nation as of the date of        
enactment of this ,act2 and  7,b7 an    
individual who has been placed on the   
membership rolls of the ,nation in      
accordance with this ,act4  7#b7 ,nation
 ,the term ,nation means the ,muscogee  
,nation of ,florida 7formerly known as  
the ,florida ,tribe of ,eastern ,creek  
,indians74  7#c7 ,secretary ,the term   
,secretary means the ,secretary of the  
,interior4  7#d7 ,tribal ,council ,the  
term ,tribal ,council means the         
governing body of the ,nation4  #d4     
,federal recognition  7a7 ,recognition  

7#a7 ,in general ,federal recognition is
 extended to the ,nation4  7#b7         
,applicability of laws ,all laws        
7including regulations7 of the ,united  
,states of general applicability to     
,indians or nations1 ,indian tribes1 or 
bands of ,indians 7including the ,act of
 ,june #ah1 #aicd 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #dfa et
 seq477 that are not inconsistent with  
this ,act shall be applicable to the    
,nation and members4  7b7 ,federal      
services and benefits  7#a7 ,in general 
,on and after the date of enactment of  
this ,act1 the ,nation and members shall
 be eligible for all services and       
benefits provided by the ,federal       
,government to federally recognized     
,indian tribes without regard to--  7,a7
 the existence of a reservation for the 
,nation2 or  7,b7 the location of the   
residence of any member on or near any  
,indian reservation4  7#b7 ,service area
 ,for the purpose of the delivery of    
,federal services to members1 the       
service area of the ,nation shall be    

considered to be--  7,a7 the community  
of ,bruce in ,walton ,county1 ,florida2 
and  7,b7 an area in the ,state of      
,florida in which members reside that is
 bordered--  7i7 on the west by the     
,escambia ,river2 and  7ii7 on the east 
by the ,st4 ,marks ,river4  #e4         
,constitution and bylaws  7a7 ,in       
general ,the constitution and bylaws of 
the ,nation shall be the constitution   
and bylaws of the ,tribal ,council dated
 ,january #ba1 #bjja 7including         
amendments71 as submitted to the        
,secretary for approval on recognition4 
7b7 ,new constitution and bylaws ,on    
receipt of a written request of the     
,tribal ,council1 the ,secretary shall  
hold a referendum for members for the   
purpose of adopting a new constitution  
and bylaws1 in accordance with section  
#af of the ,act of ,june #ah1 #aicd 7#be
 ,u4,s4,c4 #dgf74  #f4 ,tribal ,council 
,the ,tribal ,council--  7#a7 shall     
represent the ,nation and members2 and  
7#b7 may--  7,a7 enter into any         

contract1 grant agreement1 or other     
agreement with any ,federal department  
or agency2  7,b7 carry out or administer
 such programs as the ,tribal ,council  
determines to be appropriate to carry   
out the contracts and agreements2 and   
7,c7 designate a successor in interest  
pursuant to a new constitution or bylaw 
of the ,nation adopted under section    
#e7;b74  #g4 ,membership roll ,the      
membership roll of the ,nation shall be 
determined in accordance with the       
membership criteria established by the  
ordinance of the ,nation numbered       
#jd-ja-ajj and dated ,february #g1      
#bjjd4  #h4 ,land in trust ,the         
,secretary is authorized to take land in
 trust on behalf of the ,muscogee       
,nation of ,florida pursuant to part    
#aea of title #be1 ,code of ,federal    
,regulations4