§ 488. Loans to purchasers of highly fractioned land
(a)
In general
The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to make loans from the Farmers Home Administration Direct Loan Account created by section
1988
(c) [1] of title
7, and to make and insure loans as provided in sections
1928 [1] and
1929 of title
7, to any Indian tribe recognized by the Secretary of the Interior or tribal corporation established pursuant to the Indian Reorganization Act (25 U.S.C. 477), which does not have adequate uncommitted funds, to acquire lands or interests therein within the tribe’s reservation as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, or within a community in Alaska incorporated by the Secretary pursuant to the Indian Reorganization Act [25 U.S.C. 461 et seq.], for use of the tribe or the corporation or the members of either. Such loans shall be limited to such Indian tribes or tribal corporations as have reasonable prospects of success in their proposed operations and as are unable to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere at reasonable rates and terms to finance the purposes authorized in sections
488 to
494 of this title.
(b)
Highly fractionated land
(2)
Exclusion
Section
491 of this title shall not apply to trust land, restricted tribal land, or tribal corporation land that is mortgaged in accordance with paragraph (1).
[1] See References in Text note below.