108 STAT. 3502 PUBLIC LAW 103-377—OCT. 19, 1994 (9) The town of Montville, Coimecticut, will— (A) be affected by the loss of a tax base from, and jurisdiction over, lands that will be held in trust by the United States on behalf of the Mohegan Tribe; and (B) serve as the host community for the gaming operations of the Mohegan Tribe. (10) The town of Montville and the Mohegan Tribe have entered into an agreement to resolve issues extant between them and to establish the basis for a cooperative governmentto-government relationship. (b) PURPOSES. —The purposes of this Act are as follows: (1) To facilitate the settlement of claims against the State of Connecticut by the Mohegan Tribe. (2) To faciHtate the removal of any encumbrance to £Uiy title to land in the State of Connecticut that would have resulted from the action referred to in subsection (a). 25 USC 1775a. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Act: (1) LANDS OR NATURAL RESOURCES.—The term 'lands or natural resoiuxes" means any real property or natural resources, or any interest in or right involving any real property or natural resources, including any right or interest in minerals, timber, or water, and any hunting or fishing rights. (2) MOHEGAN TRIBE.— The term "Mohegan Tribe" means the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, a tribe of American Indians recognized by the United States pursuant to part 83 of title 25, Code of Federal Regulations, and the State of Connecticut pursuant to section 47-59a(b) of the Connecticut GenereJ Statutes. (3) SECRETARY.—The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior. (4) STATE.— The term "State" means the State of Connecticut (5) STATE AGREEMENT.—The term "State Agreements means the Agreement between the Mohegan Tribe and the State of Connecticut, executed on May 17, 1994, by the Governor of the State of Connecticut and the Chief of the Mohegan Tribe, that was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Connecticut. (6) TOWN AGREEMENT.— The term "Town Agreement" means the agreement executed on June 16, 1994, by the Mayor of the town of Montville sind the Chief of the Mohegan Tribe. (7) TRANSFER. — The term "transfer" includes any sale, grant, lease, allotment, partition, or conveyance, any transaction the purpose of which is to effect a sale, grant, lease, allotment, partition, or conveyance, or any event that results in a change of possession or control of land or natural resources. 25 USC 1775b. SEC. 4. ACTION BY SECRETARY. (a) IN GENERAL.— The Secretary is authorized to carry out the duties specified in subsection (b) at such time as the Secretary makes a determination that— (1) in accordance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), the State of Connecticut has entered into a binding compact with the Mohegan Tribe providing for class III tribal gaming operations (as defined in section 4(8) of such Act (25 U.S.C. 2703(8)));
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