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Title 43, Public LandsRelease 119-110

§1607 Village Corporations

Title 43 › CHAPTER 33 — ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT › § 1607

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Native residents of a village who are to get lands or other benefits must first form a corporation under state law. The village can be a for-profit or nonprofit company, unless another rule allows something different. The Regional Corporation for that area must approve the village’s first articles of incorporation. For five years, the Regional Corporation must review and approve any changes to those articles and the village’s annual budgets. The Regional Corporation must also help villages prepare their articles and other needed papers. Parts (g), (h) (except paragraph (4)), and (o) of section 1606 apply to Village, Urban, and Group Corporations.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §1607

Public Lands, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Organization of Corporation prerequisite to receipt of patent to lands or benefits under chapter
The Native residents of each Native village entitled to receive lands and benefits under this chapter shall organize as a business for profit or nonprofit corporation under the laws of the State before the Native village may receive patent to lands or benefits under this chapter, except as otherwise provided.
(b)Regional Corporation: approval of initial articles; review and approval of amendments to articles and annual budgets; assistance in preparation of articles and other documents
The initial articles of incorporation for each Village Corporation shall be subject to the approval of the Regional Corporation for the region in which the village is located. Amendments to the articles of incorporation and the annual budgets of the Village Corporations shall, for a period of five years, be subject to review and approval by the Regional Corporation. The Regional Corporation shall assist and advise Native villages in the preparation of articles of incorporation and other documents necessary to meet the requirements of this subsection.
(c)Applicability of section 1606
The provisions of subsections (g), (h) (other than paragraph (4)), and (o) of section 1606 of this title shall apply in all respects to Village Corporations, Urban Corporations, and Group Corporations.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1995—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–10 substituted “(h) (other than paragraph (4))” for “(h)”. 1988—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–241 amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows: “The provisions concerning stock alienation, annual audit, and transfer of stock ownership on death or by court decree provided for regional corporations in section 1606 of this title, including the provisions of section 1606(h)(3) of this title shall apply to Village Corporations Urban Corporations and Native Groups; except that audits need not be transmitted to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives or to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.” 1980—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–487 inserted provision making provisions of section 1606 of this title, including section 1606(h)(3) of this title, applicable to Village Corporations, Urban Corporations, and Native Groups and substituted provision that audits need not be transmitted to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives or the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate for provision that audits need not be transmitted to the Committees on Interior and Insular Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 1607

Title 43, Public Lands

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110