§293a Conveyance of school properties to local school districts or public agencies

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior may transfer federal land, buildings, and personal property used for Indian school purposes to State or local governments or to local school authorities when those things are no longer needed for federal Indian schools. Before giving land that the United States holds in trust for an individual Indian or Indian tribe, the Secretary must get the consent of the beneficial owner. No single school transfer may move more than fifty acres. Transfers must keep mineral rights and the right to prospect and remove minerals under rules set by the Secretary. The property must be used for schools or other public purposes and be open to Indians and non‑Indians on the same terms unless the Secretary allows otherwise. If a grantee breaks the transfer terms for at least one year, the Secretary may declare the transfer forfeited and the title returns to the United States; that decision is final. If the Secretary does not act, the former beneficial owner (an individual Indian or an Indian tribe) may ask the United States District Court for the district where the land is located to declare forfeiture and restore the title to the United States in the same trust status as before.