Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature.
Existing law ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts between the State of California and specified Indian tribes, including the compact entered into between the State of California and the North Fork Rancheria Band of Mono Indians. Existing law creates in the State Treasury the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund and the Indian Gaming Revenue Sharing Trust Fund for the receipt and deposit of moneys received by the state from Indian tribes pursuant to the terms of gaming compacts
and authorizes moneys in those funds to be used for certain purposes.
This bill would create the Tribal Nation Grant Fund in the State Treasury, to be administered by the California Gambling Control Commission, for the receipt and deposit of moneys received by the state from Indian tribes, pursuant to the terms of tribal-state gaming compacts. This bill would authorize moneys in this fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be used for discretionary distribution to nongaming tribes and limited gaming tribes for purposes related to effective self-governance, self-determined community, and economic development.