# Crow Revenue Act (S. 239) - Plain Language Summary

## What This Bill Does

The Crow Revenue Act is a land and mineral rights exchange involving the Crow Tribe of Montana, the federal government, and a private family trust. In essence, the bill orchestrates a three-way swap of mineral rights (the right to extract coal, oil, gas, and other resources underground):

1. The Hope Family Trust gives their mineral rights to the Crow Tribe
2. The current lessee of federal mineral rights in the Bull Mountains gives up their lease
3. The federal government transfers the Bull Mountains mineral rights to the Hope Family Trust

All three transactions must happen together within 60 days of the bill becoming law.

## Who Benefits and Is Affected

**Primary beneficiaries:** The Crow Tribe of Montana gains valuable mineral rights in Big Horn County (approximately 4,660 acres) that would be held in trust by the federal government. This gives the tribe control over resource development and revenue from those minerals, with no state taxation on these tribal assets.

**Others affected:** The Hope Family Trust receives federal mineral rights in the Bull Mountains (approximately 4,530 acres) in exchange for giving up their Montana holdings. The current lessee of the Bull Mountains lease can exit their agreement. Montana loses potential tax revenue from the tribal mineral interests.

## Key Provisions

- The mineral interests transferred to the Crow Tribe are **exempt from state taxation**
- The Tribe and Hope Family Trust must agree on how to **share revenues** if the Bull Mountains minerals are developed in the future
- The bill includes a safeguard ensuring this deal **doesn't reduce any federal benefits** the Crow Tribe currently receives
- The land involved is temporarily protected from other uses while the exchange is being completed

Crow Revenue Act

Daines, Steve

Crow Revenue ActThis bill addresses the exchange of mineral interests in Montana involving the federal government, the Crow Tribe of Montana, and a private party.Specifically, the bill requires&nbsp;<ul><li>the Department of the Interior to accept the relinquishment of a specified federal coal lease associated with the Bull Mountains Mine near Roundup, Montana (the current operator of the mine is Signal Peak Energy);&nbsp;</li><li>the Joe and Barbara Hope Mineral Trust (Hope Family Trust) to convey approximately 4,660 acres of subsurface mineral interests located within the boundaries of the Crow Indian Reservation in Big Horn County, Montana, to the tribe; and&nbsp;</li><li>Interior to convey approximately 4,530 acres of subsurface mineral interests and 940 acres of surface interests located in Musselshell County, Montana, to the Hope Family Trust.&nbsp;</li></ul>Prior to these conveyances, the tribe must notify Interior that the tribe and the Hope Family Trust have agreed on a revenue-sharing formula for the development of the mineral and surface interests in&nbsp;Musselshell County, Montana.The mineral interests conveyed by the Hope Family Trust to the tribe shall be held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the tribe, upon the tribe's request. These mineral interests shall not be subject to state or local taxation.