recognized Indian tribes on the date of the enactment of this Act may submit a petition under this Act. (b) Ineligible groups The following may not submit a petition under this Act: (1) Splinter groups, political factions, communities or groups of any character that separate from the main body of a federally recognized Indian tribe, unless they can establish clearly that they have functioned throughout history until the present as an autonomous tribal entity, even if they have been regarded by some as part of or have been associated in some manner with a federally recognized Indian tribe. (2) Indian tribes, organized bands, pueblos, Alaska native villages, or communities that have been lawfully acknowledged to be federally recognized Indian tribes and are receiving services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. (3) Groups that petitioned and were denied Federal acknowledgment under part 83 of title 25, Code of Federal Regulations, including reorganized or reconstituted petitioners previously denied, or splinter groups, spin-offs, or component groups of any type that were once part of petitioners previously denied. (4) Groups for which a documented petition has not been filed pursuant to section 9 by the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Groups with petitions in progress This Act, including the criteria in section 7, shall apply to any Indian group whose documented petition was submitted and not denied on the date of the enactment of this Act. 5. Filing a letter of intent Any Indian group in the continental United States that believes it should be acknowledged as an Indian tribe and that it can satisfy the criteria in this Act may submit a letter of intent requesting acknowledgment that an Indian group exists as an Indian tribe. The letter of intent submitted under this section— (1) shall be filed with the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior