NAFOA President Rodney Butler, who also serves as chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, is scheduled to testify before the House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Indian & Insular Affairs on Tuesday, June 9, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern during a legislative hearing on the Tribal Regulatory Reform Implementation Act of 2026 (H.R. 8954).
The legislation, introduced in May by House Natural Resources Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), would transfer responsibility for implementing the Indian Tribal Regulatory Reform and Business Development Act of 2000 (ITARA) from the U.S. Department of Commerce to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Originally enacted as Public Law 106-447 after being introduced as S. 614 by former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.), ITARA was designed to identify and remove barriers in federal law that hinder investment and economic development on Indian lands.
Supporters of the new legislation say moving oversight to the Department of the Interior would better align federal responsibilities related to Tribal economic development by consolidating those duties within the agency that has primary responsibility for federal-Tribal relations.
Rodney Butler will appear before the subcommittee to provide testimony on behalf of NAFOA, the leading organization focused on advancing Tribal economies and strengthening Tribal finance and governance.
The hearing will take place in Room 1324 of the Longworth House Office Building and will be livestreamed for the public.
