WASHINGTON — In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently.

Senate Passes Bill Giving Tribal Courts Access to Electronic Evidence

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation led by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) that would give Tribal courts greater access to electronic evidence, including emails and social media messages, in criminal investigations.

The Tribal Access to Electronic Evidence Act now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Despite facing high rates of violence, Tribal communities are denied access to essential tools needed to solve crimes,” Cortez Masto said. “It’s past time for Congress to eliminate this hurdle for Tribal law enforcement. I applaud the Senate passage of this legislation, and I urge my House colleagues to immediately send it to the President’s desk.”

Rounds said the legislation would provide Tribal law enforcement with another tool to address illegal activity on Tribal lands.

“Our legislation would give Tribal law enforcement another tool to crack down on illegal activity on their lands,” Rounds said. “Cutting out the red tape and allowing Tribal courts to access evidence on their own is a step in the right direction to making every community safer.”

The legislation would amend federal law to:

  • Recognize courts of federally recognized Tribes as “courts of competent jurisdiction” under the Stored Communications Act.
  • Require Tribal courts to follow warrant procedures established under the Indian Civil Rights Act when seeking electronic information.
  • Recognize Tribes as a government entity under the federal statute.

The bill has been endorsed by the National Native American Bar Association, National American Indian Court Judges Association and National Native American Law Enforcement Association.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

Bipartisan Energy Bill Would Preserve Tribal Role in Historic Preservation Reviews

The bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act would establish a new federal consultation process intended to preserve Tribal involvement in reviews of energy and infrastructure projects that could affect historic and cultural resources.

The legislation would create a new National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) consultation process that would run alongside reviews conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act. The process would have defined timelines while maintaining a statutory role for federally recognized Tribes in determining how proposed projects could affect historic and cultural resources.

The provision would also preserve Tribes’ ability to formally participate in consultation during the permitting process. Supporters of the legislation say the provision protects Tribal consultation rights while establishing clearer timelines for energy and infrastructure projects.

The broader bill would accelerate permitting for energy and transmission projects while maintaining environmental review requirements. It would establish deadlines for environmental reviews, including two years for Environmental Impact Statements and one year for Environmental Assessments.