Find Legal Information

In any litigation or court action between or among the Hopi Tribe, the Navajo Tribe and the United States or any of its officials, departments, agencies, or instrumentalities, arising out of the interpretation or implementation of this subchapter, as amended, the Secretary shall pay, subject to the availability of appropriations, attorney’s fees, costs and expenses as determined by the Secretary to be reasonable. For each tribe, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $120,000 in fiscal year 1981, $130,000 in fiscal year 1982, $140,000 in fiscal year 1983, $150,000 in fiscal year 1984, and $160,000 in fiscal year 1985, and each succeeding year thereafter until such litigation or court action is finally completed.

Upon the entry of a final judgment in any such litigation or court action, the court shall award reasonable attorney’s fees, costs and expenses to the party, other than the United States or its officials, departments, agencies, or instrumentalities, which prevails or substantially prevails, where it finds that any opposing party has unreasonably initiated or contested such litigation. Any party to whom such an award has been made shall reimburse the United States out of such award to the extent that it has received payments pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

To the extent that any award made to a party against the United States pursuant to subsection (b) of this section exceeds the amount paid to such party by the United States pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, such difference shall be treated as if it were a final judgment of the Court of Claims under section 2517 of title 28.

This section shall apply to any litigation or court action pending upon July 8, 1980, in which a final order, decree, judgment has not been entered, but shall not apply to any action authorized by section 640d–7 or 640d–17 (a) of this title.