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- By Native News Online Staff
The Senate has approved 12 bipartisan bills intended to reinforce tribal sovereignty, protect sacred sites, improve public health and safety, settle long-standing land and water claims, and expand economic and housing opportunities across Indian Country.
All 12 measures were advanced earlier this year by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and passed the full Senate by unanimous consent.
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“As Chairman, I’m proud of our committee’s strong bipartisan work on legislation important to Native peoples,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said. “Moving these bills forward is an important step toward enhancing public safety, promoting public health, expanding access to tribal homeownership, empowering tribes to better manage their own resources and helping tribes complete critical water projects. I welcome this good progress for Native communities and look forward to working with my House colleagues to get these bills to the President’s desk.”
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), the committee’s vice chair, said the package reflects the Senate’s shared commitment to Native priorities.
“The bills we advanced out of the Senate on a unanimous, bipartisan basis – including on the completion of water rights settlements, Tribal public health, or public safety – will help support and strengthen Native communities all across the country,” Schatz said. “I’m proud to have worked with Chairman Murkowski to deliver for Native communities and look forward to help getting them across the finish line in the House.”
The Senate legislation advanced by unanimous consent includes:
- S. 240 – Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025 (Daines)
- S. 390 – BADGES for Native Communities Act (Cortez Masto)
- S. 546 – Technical Correction to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 (Cortez Masto)
- S. 620 – Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act (Murkowski)
- S. 621 – Lower Sioux Indian Community Charter Revocation Act (Smith)
- S. 622 – Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025 (Smith)
- S. 640 – Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act (Luján)
- S. 642 – Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claim Settlement Act of 2025 (Peters)
- S. 719 – Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2025 (Murkowski)
- S. 723 – Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025 (Thune)
Alongside the Senate legislation, the following House-passed measures have been approved by the Senate and are on their way to the President’s desk to be signed into law:
- H.R. 165 – Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act (Johnson)
- H.R. 504 – Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act (Gimenez)
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