Indian Claims Act of 1982

(Reported to House from the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs with amendment, H. Rept. 97-954)

Indian Claims Act of 1982 - Amends Federal law relating to the statute of limitations on claims of the United States for money damages arising out of contract or tort ("2415 provisions") to extend such statute of limitations in the case of specified types of Indian "2415" claims.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior to publish in the Federal Register a list of all Indian "2415" claims which have been identified by or submitted to the Secretary under the "Statute of Limitation Project" and which would be barred by the statute of limitations on "2415" claims, but for the provisions of this Act. Grants the Secretary discretion to exclude from such list any matter which was erroneously identified as a claim and which has no legal merit whatsoever. Sets forth information requirements for such list. Requires that such list be distributed to each Indian tribe, band or group whose rights or the rights of whose members could be affected by "2415" provisions.

Grants any Indian tribe, band, group, or individual 180 days after publication of such list in the Federal Register to submit to the Secretary any additional claims which they believed to be affected by "2415" provisions and desire to have considered for litigation or legislation by the United States. Sets forth information requirements for such submissions. Directs the Secretary, within 30 days after expiration of such submission period, to publish in the Federal Register a list of the additional claims submitted. Grants the Secretary discretion to exclude from such additional list any matter which has not been sufficiently identified as a claim.

Provides that Indian "2415" claims which are pre- 1966 and which are not included on either of the lists shall be barred 60 days after publication of the additional list.

Requires that the Secretary's decision to reject for litigation any of the claims or groups or categories of claims contained on either of the lists be reported to the appropriate Indian tribe, band, or group whose rights or whose members' rights could be affected. Sets forth information requirements for such report. Directs the Secretary to provide written notice of such rejection to any potential Indian plaintiff whose identity and present address is known or can be reasonably ascertained by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to provide any Indian claimant, upon request and without undue delay, any nonprivileged research materials or evidence gathered by the United States in the documentation of such claim. Directs the Secretary, as soon as possible after providing such litigation rejection report, to publish a notice in the Federal Register identifying the claims covered in such report. Provides that any right of action with respect to any claim covered by such report shall be barred unless the complaint is filed within one year after such publication.

Directs the Secretary, upon determination that any claim or claims on either list is not appropriate for litigation but may be appropriately resolved by legislation, to submit to Congress: (1) legislation to resolve such claims; or (2) a report setting out options for legislative resolution of such claims. Provides that any right of action or claims covered by such legislation or legislative report shall be barred unless the complaint is filed within three years after such submission.