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Title 40 — Public Buildings, Property, and WorksRelease 119-73

§523 Excess real property located on Indian reservations

Title 40 › Subtitle SUBTITLE I— - FEDERAL PROPERTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES › Chapter CHAPTER 5— - PROPERTY MANAGEMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - USE OF PROPERTY › § 523

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Administrator of General Services must set up rules to give surplus federal land on a recognized Indian reservation to the Secretary of the Interior at no cost when the tribe is eligible for Bureau of Indian Affairs services. The Secretary must hold the land in trust for that tribe, except in Oklahoma where the land goes into trust for Oklahoma Indian tribes if it lies inside former reservation boundaries and was already in trust when the Government got it, or if it borders land now held in trust and was held in trust at any time.

Full Legal Text

Title 40, §523

Public Buildings, Property, and Works — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Administrator of General Services shall prescribe procedures necessary to transfer to the Secretary of the Interior, without compensation, excess real property located within the reservation of any group, band, or tribe of Indians that is recognized as eligible for services by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
(b)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall hold excess real property transferred under this section in trust for the benefit and use of the group, band, or tribe of Indians, within whose reservation the excess real property is located.
(2)The Secretary shall hold excess real property that is located in Oklahoma and transferred under this section in trust for Oklahoma Indian tribes recognized by the Secretary if the real property—
(A)is located within boundaries of former reservations in Oklahoma, as defined by the Secretary, and was held in trust by the Federal Government for an Indian tribe when the Government acquired it; or
(B)is contiguous to real property presently held in trust by the Government for an Oklahoma Indian tribe and was held in trust by the Government for an Indian tribe at any time.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 52340:483(a)(2).June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title II, § 202(a)(2), as added Pub. L. 93–599, (2), Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1954.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

40 U.S.C. § 523

Title 40 — Public Buildings, Property, and Works

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73