Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

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.

A bill to improve outcomes for Native children by empowering Tribal communities, strengthening families, and increasing access to critical services, and for other purposes.

The bill aims to improve health, education, and social services for Native American children by giving tribal governments more control over programs that serve their communities and families. It would increase funding and resources for services like healthcare, mental health support, and child welfare programs in tribal areas. The legislation is designed to strengthen Native families and communities by letting tribes make decisions that better fit their specific needs rather than relying solely on federal programs.

Protecting Indian Water Rights Settlements Act of 2026

The bill would modify how money is organized within a fund that helps complete water rights agreements with Native American tribes, by creating separate accounts within that fund for different purposes. This change would help track and manage the settlement payments more clearly as the government works to fulfill its obligations to tribes regarding water access and rights. Native American tribes and communities that have pending water rights settlements would be the primary beneficiaries of this organizational improvement.

Indigenous Students Excel through Parity Act of 2026

The federal government would update how it distributes funding to schools serving Native American students, aiming to make the allocation process fairer and more equitable across tribal communities. This affects Native American families, students, and schools on or near reservations that rely on federal education funding. The changes would help ensure schools have adequate resources to provide quality education to their students.

SNAP Tribal Food Sovereignty Act of 2026

This bill would allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sign contracts directly with Native American tribes and tribal organizations to run food assistance programs in their communities, rather than having the federal government manage these programs. Currently, tribes have limited ability to operate their own nutrition assistance programs, so this change would give them more control over how food aid is delivered to their members. The bill affects Native American tribes, tribal governments, and low-income Native Americans who rely on food assistance programs.

A bill to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land held in trust for federally recognized Indian Tribes.

This bill authorizes any federally recognized Indian tribe to lease their land held in trust for a term of up to 99 years.

FDPIR Tribal Food Sovereignty Act of 2026

FDPIR Tribal Food Sovereignty Act of 2026 This bill expands and makes permanent a pilot program through which the Department of Agriculture must enter into self-determination contracts with tribal organizations, upon the request of an Indian tribe, to carry out the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). (FDPIR provides, in lieu of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food commodities to low-income households on Indian reservations and to Native American families residing in Oklahoma or in designated areas near Oklahoma.)

Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025

Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 This bill recognizes and settles certain water rights claims in New Mexico of the pueblo of Zuni and establishes and provides funding for a related settlement trust fund. It also requires federal actions related to the Zuni Salt Lake in New Mexico. Specifically, the bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified water rights settlement agreement entered into by Zuni, New Mexico, and others, thus satisfying claims to water rights in the Zuni River Stream System in New Mexico. The bill establishes and provides funding for the Zuni Tribe Settlement Trust Fund (and specified accounts) for purposes of carrying out this bill. Additionally, the bill (1) specifies the water rights of the pueblo; and (2) outlines waivers, releases, and retentions of claims by the pueblo and the United States. The bill also withdraws certain federal land in New Mexico from mineral development. The bill reserves this federal land for the following three purposes: (1) the protection of the Zuni Salt Lake and Sanctuary, (2) the protection of the quality and quantity of the Zuni Salt Lake's water supply, and (3) the protection of any cultural resources associated with the Zuni Salt Lake and Sanctuary. The Bureau of Land Management must manage this land. The Department of the Interior must take certain land surrounding the Zuni Salt Lake into trust for the benefit of Zuni.

Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025

Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 This bill recognizes and settles certain water rights claims in New Mexico of the pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh. It also establishes and provides funding for a settlement trust fund. Specifically, the bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified water rights settlement agreement entered into by Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico, and others, thus satisfying claims to water rights in the Rio Chama Stream System in New Mexico. The bill establishes and provides funding for the Ohkay Owingeh Water Rights Settlement Trust Fund. This trust fund may only be used for five specified purposes, including for activities related to water production, treatment, or delivery infrastructure. The bill also (1) specifies the water rights of the pueblo; and (2) outlines waivers, releases, and retentions of claims by the pueblo and the United States.

To amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993.

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.)

Quapaw Tribal Settlement Act of 2025

Quapaw Tribal Settlement Act of 2025 This bill creates a trust account, funds the account, and establishes a distribution process to settle certain claims between the federal government and the Quapaw Nation (a tribe in Oklahoma). Specifically, the bill establishes the Quapaw Bear Settlement Trust Account and directs the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Trust Funds Administration to administer all funds appropriated to the trust account. Interior must make payments to the tribe and individual members of the tribe in accordance with the January 2020 recommendation of the review panel of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The bill outlines the distribution process for the settlement funds in the trust account.

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.

A bill to authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes.

This bill recognizes and settles the Akwesasne land claim in northern New York. (Akwesasne is a Mohawk territory that extends into the United States and Canada, specifically New York, Ontario, and Quebec.) The bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified settlement agreement entered into by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT), the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, the State of New York, Franklin and Saint Lawrence Counties in New York, the towns of Fort Covington and Bombay in New York, and the New York Power Authority. (Among its provisions, the settlement agreement restores land rights and provides access to land to SRMT, provides tuition assistance for tribal members to certain postsecondary institutions, and requires the New York Power Authority to make annual payments to SRMT.) Additionally, the bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms any transfer of land, right-of-way, or easement that is the subject of claims in specified court cases. The bill also recognizes as Indian country any land owned or subsequently acquired by SRMT within the settlement acquisition areas. (The term Indian country , for purposes of criminal jurisdiction, generally refers to all lands within a tribal reservation, dependent Indian communities, and tribal allotments.)

Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025

Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025 This bill takes approximately 583.79 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 into trust for the benefit of the tribe 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). This land shall be part of the tribe's reservation. Further, the bill prohibits gaming on the land taken into trust.

Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025

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.

To authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes.

This bill recognizes and settles the Akwesasne land claim in northern New York. (Akwesasne is a Mohawk territory that extends into the United States and Canada, specifically New York, Ontario, and Quebec.) The bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified settlement agreement entered into by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT), the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, the State of New York, Franklin and Saint Lawrence Counties in New York, the towns of Fort Covington and Bombay in New York, and the New York Power Authority. (Among its provisions, the settlement agreement restores land rights and provides access to land to SRMT, provides tuition assistance for tribal members to certain postsecondary institutions, and requires the New York Power Authority to make annual payments to SRMT.) Additionally, the bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms any transfer of land, right-of-way, or easement that is the subject of claims in specified court cases. The bill also recognizes as Indian country any land owned or subsequently acquired by SRMT within the settlement acquisition areas. (The term Indian country , for purposes of criminal jurisdiction, generally refers to all lands within a tribal reservation, dependent Indian communities, and tribal allotments.)

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.

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.

Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians would exchange some of their current land holdings for federal land in California, allowing the tribe to consolidate their territory and potentially expand their reservation. This land swap would need to be approved by the federal government and could affect how the tribe manages its resources and develops its community. The exchange is designed to give the San Manuel Nation more control over contiguous land that better serves their tribal members' needs.

Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025

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.