Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025

Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025 This bill revises the water rights settlement agreement entered into by the Crow Tribe of Montana and Montana. The Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 ratified, authorized, and confirmed the water rights compact between the tribe and Montana. Among other provisions, this settlement act authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to plan, design and construct the following two major projects on the Crow Reservation: (1) the rehabilitation and improvement of the Crow Irrigation Project (CIP); and (2) the planning, design, and construction of the MR&I System (the municipal, rural, and industrial water system of the Crow Reservation). Among other provisions, the bill revises the settlement act to replace references to the MR&I System with MR&I Projects ; establish a nontrust, interest-bearing account (to be known as the Crow CIP Implementation Account) to allow Reclamation to continue to work on the rehabilitation of the CIP; create a new MR&I Projects Account, through which the tribe must use funds for activities related to water production, treatment, or delivery infrastructure; and extend by five years (to 2030) the period during which the tribe has the exclusive right to construct hydropower facilities on the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam in Montana.

Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025

Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convey approximately 3.4 acres in Anchorage, Alaska, to the Southcentral Foundation (SCF) for use in connection with health and social services programs. The conveyance must be made by warranty deed. The conveyance may not (1) require any consideration (such as payment) from the SCF for the property; (2) impose any obligation, term, or condition on the SCF relating to that property; or (3) allow for any U.S. reversionary interest in the property. HHS must be accorded any easement or access to the property as may be reasonably necessary to satisfy any retained obligation or liability of HHS. The bill prohibits the SCF from being liable for certain environmental contamination that occurred on or before the date on which the property is conveyed to the SCF. In turn, HHS may not be liable for any contamination that occurred after the date that the SCF controlled, occupied, and used the property.

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act This bill takes approximately 1,082.63 acres of specified lands in Washington into trust for the benefit of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Land taken into trust shall be part of the tribe's reservation. Further, the bill prohibits gaming on the land taken into trust.

Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act

Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act This bill extends from 72 hours to 15 days the time period to notify the Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) program of emergency medical care received from a non-Indian Health Service (IHS) medical provider or at a non-IHS medical facility. This bill does not apply to individuals who are elderly or disabled, who continue to have a 30-day notification requirement for emergency services. The IHS provides medical and dental services directly to American Indian and Alaska Native patients whenever possible. The PRC program pays for medical or dental care that is provided away from an IHS or tribal health care facility. The PRC program must be notified of requests for authorization of payment for health care services from a non-IHS provider. Currently in emergency cases, the patient, an individual on behalf of the patient, or the medical care provider must, within 72 hours after the beginning of treatment for the condition or after admission to a health care facility, notify a PRC authorizing official of the need for the emergency medical care. This bill instead allows the patient, other individual, or provider to notify PRC within 15 days of the treatment or admission.

Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act

Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act This bill administratively transfers approximately 72 acres of specified lands in Washington from the U.S. Forest Service to the Department of the Interior. Interior must take this land into trust for the benefit of the Quinault Indian Nation. Land taken into trust shall be part of the tribe's reservation. The bill prohibits gaming on the land taken into trust. The bill requires Interior, for purposes of taking the land into trust, to meet the disclosure requirements for hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants, without otherwise being required to remediate or abate those hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants.

Unlocking Native Lands and Opportunities for Commerce and Key Economic Developments Act of 2025

This bill would make it easier for Native American tribes and individuals to develop and lease their land for business purposes, potentially allowing more commercial projects on tribal lands. The changes could help Native communities generate income and economic growth, though they might also affect how tribes manage their natural resources and traditional lands. The bill has advanced through the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs with approval.

Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2026

Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025 This bill takes three tracts of specified federal land (approximately 9.89 acres) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, into trust for the benefit of the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico. (These three tracts of land were historically part of the Albuquerque Indian School, which was an Indian boarding school until 1981.) The land is currently administered by the General Services Administration (GSA). Within 90 days of this bill's enactment and the relocation of all federal tenants, the bill requires (1) the GSA to transfer administrative jurisdiction over the land to the Department of the Interior, and (2) Interior to take the land into trust for the benefit of the 19 Pueblos. The land taken into trust must be subject to a right-of-way easement, as determined by the GSA, on the federal land located within Tract 1 for purposes of retrieving or relocating federal property from the land to another location. (Tract 1, which is approximately 3.57 acres, contains a warehouse that is 76,682 square feet.) The bill requires the land taken into trust to be used for the educational, health, cultural, business, and economic development of the 19 Pueblos. Further, the land must remain subject to existing private and municipal encumbrances, rights-of-way, restrictions, easements of record, and utility service agreements. The bill prohibits gaming on the land taken into trust.

Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2026

Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025 This bill takes approximately 603.94 acres of specified lands in California into trust for the benefit of the Pit River Tribe. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of the Interior to take the following lands into trust for the benefit of the tribe: (1) approximately 583.79 acres of federal land managed by the Forest Service (but excluding approximately 20.03 acres of roads, highways, and public rights-of-way subject to existing easements), and (2) approximately 40.18 acres of fee land held by the tribe. These combined lands, approximately 603.94 acres, shall be part of the tribe's reservation. Further, the bill prohibits gaming on the land taken into trust.

Crow Revenue Act

Crow Revenue Act This bill addresses the exchange of mineral interests in Montana involving the federal government, the Crow Tribe of Montana, and a private party. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of the Interior to accept the relinquishment of a specified federal coal lease associated with the Bull Mountains Mine near Roundup, Montana (the current operator of the mine is Signal Peak Energy); the Joe and Barbara Hope Mineral Trust (Hope Family Trust) to convey approximately 4,660 acres of subsurface mineral interests located within the boundaries of the Crow Indian Reservation in Big Horn County, Montana, to the tribe; and Interior to convey approximately 4,530 acres of subsurface mineral interests and 940 acres of surface interests located in Musselshell County, Montana, to the Hope Family Trust. Prior to these conveyances, the tribe must notify Interior that the tribe and the Hope Family Trust have agreed on a revenue-sharing formula for the development of the mineral and surface interests in Musselshell County, Montana. The mineral interests conveyed by the Hope Family Trust to the tribe shall be held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the tribe, upon the tribe's request. These mineral interests shall not be subject to state or local taxation.

A bill to provide for the equitable settlement of certain Indian land disputes regarding land in Illinois, and for other purposes.

This bill confers jurisdiction to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma's land claim arising under the Treaty of Grouseland. The court must render judgement without regard to the statute of limitations or any delay-based defense. This jurisdiction expires unless such a claim is filed within one year. All other claims, including any future claims, of the tribe to land in Illinois are extinguished.

A resolution designating September 2026 as "Hawaiian History Month" to recognize the history, culture, and contributions of Native Hawaiians and reaffirm the United States Federal trust responsibility to the Native Hawaiian Community to support their well-being.

A resolution expressing support for the designation of the second Monday in October 2026 as "Indigenous Peoples' Day" to celebrate and honor Indigenous Peoples and their shared history and culture.

A bill to take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Pechanga Band of Indians, and for other purposes.

This bill takes approximately 860 acres of land in Riverside County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Pechanga Band of Indians. The land is currently administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The land taken into trust shall be (1) part of the tribe's reservation; (2) maintained as an open space; and (3) used only for purposes consistent with the maintenance of the land as open space and for the protection, preservation, and maintenance of the archaeological, cultural, and wildlife resources on the land. Further, the bill prohibits gaming on the land.

A bill to amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993 with respect to future membership in the Catawba Indian Nation.

This bill revises tribal membership requirements for the Catawba Indian Nation (a tribe in South Carolina). The Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993 explicitly restricted the tribe’s future membership to lineal descendants of people on the final base membership roll who maintained continuous political relations with the tribe. This bill removes these membership criteria and allows the tribe to determine its membership. (The tribe uses three base membership rolls and anyone who wants to be enrolled must prove lineal descent from someone listed on one of these base membership rolls.)

Poarch Band of Creek Indians Parity Act

Poarch Band of Creek Indians Parity Act This bill applies the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Additionally, the bill reaffirms previous decisions by the Department of the Interior to take land into trust for the tribe under the IRA. A 2009 Supreme Court case, Carcieri v. Salazar, decided that Interior could not take land into trust for a specified tribe because that tribe had not been under federal jurisdiction when the IRA was enacted in 1934. This bill (1) affirms the applicability of the IRA to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, thereby deeming the tribe to be under federal jurisdiction as of June 18, 1934, for purposes of the IRA; and (2) reaffirms prior decisions by Interior to take land into trust for the benefit of the tribe.

Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026

Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act

Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act This bill takes specified lands and easements in Monroe County, Tennessee, into trust for the use and benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. These lands include the Sequoyah Museum, the Chota Memorial, the Tanasi Memorial, and land to provide support for these properties and cultural programs. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) maintains its right to carry out river control and development on these lands, including temporarily and intermittently flooding certain lands. The bill specifies the structures that may be constructed with the TVA's written consent on certain lands subject to flooding. Additionally, the TVA must be compensated for lost hydropower capacity from future development of these lands. Further, the bill specifies that the United States is not liable for loss or damage resulting from certain activities, such as the permanent flooding of adjacent lands. In addition, the bill outlines the TVA's continuing responsibilities, including those related to environmental remediation. Finally, the bill prohibits gaming on these lands.

Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025

Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025 This bill takes approximately 204.14 acres of specified lands in El Dorado County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. The bill revokes a specified public land order and administratively transfers the land from the Forest Service to the Department of the Interior. (In the public land order, the land was designated for use by the Forest Service as an experiment station.) The bill directs Interior to take the following lands into trust for the benefit of the tribe: (1) approximately 85.3 acres of federal land managed by Interior's Bureau of Land Management (which includes the land transferred from the Forest Service), and (2) approximately 118.84 acres of fee land held by the tribe. These combined lands, approximately 204.14 acres, shall be part of the tribe's reservation. Further, the bill prohibits gaming on the land taken into trust.

Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025

Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025 This bill takes approximately 265 acres of specified lands in El Dorado County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. The bill revokes a specified public land order and administratively transfers the land from the Forest Service to the Department of the Interior. (In the public land order, the land was designated for use by the Forest Service as an experiment station.) The bill directs Interior to take the following lands into trust for the benefit of the tribe: (1) approximately 80 acres of federal land managed by Interior's Bureau of Land Management (which includes the land transferred from the Forest Service), and (2) approximately 185 acres of fee land held by the tribe. These combined lands, approximately 265 acres, shall be part of the tribe's reservation. Further, the bill prohibits gaming on the land taken into trust.

Grand Ronde Land Transfer Act of 2026