New bill could make it easier for California tribes to reclaim ancestral lands View Comments A new bill working its way through the California assembly would make it easier for federally recognized tribes to purchase surplus land from nearby cities, a change that the local Tule River Indian Tribe is pushing for. The proposed legislation would put tribal governments on an even playing field with local governments when purchasing surplus land. Under current law, affordable housing projects get the first opportunity to buy land from government agencies before negotiations with other potential buyers may begin. An exemption exists for other government agencies but not for California's hundred-plus federally recognized tribes. That would change under Assembly Bill 1180.