§ 459c. — Existing rights of possession, contract, interest, etc.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 25USC459c]
TITLE 25--INDIANS
CHAPTER 14--MISCELLANEOUS
SUBCHAPTER IV--CONVEYANCE OF SUBMARGINAL LAND
Sec. 459c. Existing rights of possession, contract, interest,
etc.
(a) Preservation; force and effect of mineral leases; rejection of
pending applications for leases and return of advance rental
payments
Nothing in this subchapter shall deprive any person of any existing
valid right of possession, contract right, interest, or title he may
have in the land involved, or of any existing right of access to public
domain lands over and across the land involved, as determined by the
Secretary of the Interior. All existing mineral leases, including oil
and gas leases, which may have been issued or approved pursuant to
section 5 of the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of August 7,
1947 (61 Stat. 913, 915) [30 U.S.C. 354], or the Mineral Leasing Act of
1920 (41 Stat. 437) [30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.], as amended prior to October
17, 1975, shall remain in force and effect in accordance with the
provisions thereof. All applications for mineral leases, including oil
and gas leases, pursuant to such Acts, pending on October 17, 1975, and
covering any of the minerals conveyed by sections 459 and 459b of this
title shall be rejected and the advance rental payments returned to the
applicants.
(b) Administration of lands
Subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the
property conveyed by this subchapter shall hereafter be administered in
accordance with the laws and regulations applicable to property held in
trust by the United States for Indian tribes, including but not limited
to sections 396a to 396g of this title.
(Pub. L. 94-114, Sec. 4, Oct. 17, 1975, 89 Stat. 578.)
References in Text
The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, referred to in subsec. (a), is act
Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, 41 Stat. 437, as amended, known as the Mineral
Leasing Act, which is classified generally to chapter 3A (Sec. 181 et
seq.) of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining. For complete classification
of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 181
of Title 30 and Tables.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 459d of this title.
