By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.

One Feather Asst. Editor

The One Feather will now provide weekly legislative updates on various pieces of federal legislation of interest to members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The bills are shown in the order in which they were introduced following the new bills for the week.

New this week

S. 4276 (A bill to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996). The full text of this bill was not available by press time.

Introduced: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on March 26, 2026

Action: This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on March 26, 2026. There are no scheduled hearings in that Committee for this bill as of press time.

H.R. 8092 (Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026). This House bill seeks “to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996”.

Introduced: Rep. Troy Downing (R-Mont.) on March 26, 2026

Action: This will was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services on March 26, 2026. There are no scheduled hearings in that Committee for this bill as of press time.

Bills we’re currently watching

H.R. 226 (Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act). This House bill would place 76 acres of land in eastern Tennessee into trust for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Included in that land are the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, the Chota Memorial, and the Tanasi Memorial sites.

Introduced: Jan. 7, 2025 by Rep. Charles J. “Chuck” Fleischmann (R-Tenn.)

Action: This bill was passed in the House by a voice vote on Feb. 4, 2025. It was received in the Senate the next day and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. There are no scheduled hearings in that Committee for this bill as of press time.

S.761 (Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act). This Senate bill would establish the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies. According to Congress.gov, “Among other duties, the Commission must investigate the impacts and ongoing effects of the Indian Boarding School Policies – federal policies under which American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian children were forcibly removed from their family homes and placed in boarding schools.”

Introduced: Feb. 26, 2025 by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)

Action: This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. It was “ordered to be reported without amendment favorably” by the Committee on March 5, 2025. It was reported without amendment by Sen. Murkowski (R-Alaska), Senate Committee on Indian Affairs chairperson, on July 31, 2025. That same day, it was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders (Calendar No. 139).

H.R. 2412 (Indigenous Diplomacy and Engagement Act). This House bill would establish an Office for Indigenous Affairs and an Advisory Commission for Indigenous Peoples within the Department of State.

Introduced: March 27, 2025 by Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawai’i)

Action: This bill was referred to both the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on Natural Resources on March 27, 2025. There are no scheduled hearings in either Committee for this bill as of press time.

H.R. 2929. (Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe recognition bill). This House bill would grant federal acknowledgement to the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe of North Carolina, a state-recognized group.

Introduced: April 17, 2025 by Rep. Donald G. Davis (D-N.C.)

Action: This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources on April 17, 2025. There is not a scheduled hearing in that Committee for this bill as of press time.

H.R. 3255. (Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians Restoration Act of 2025). This House bill will would grant federal acknowledgment to the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, a state-recognized group in Michigan.

Introduced: May 7, 2025 by Rep. Hillar J. Scholten (D-Mich.)

Action: This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources on May 7, 2025. There is not a scheduled hearing in that Committee for this bill as of press time.

H.R. 3444. (Tribal Self-Determination and Co-Management in Forestry Act of 2025). According to the bill text, this House bill is “To direct Federal land management agencies of the Department of the Interior to establish Tribal Co-Management Plans and to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into agreements with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations for the performance of certain activities of the Forest Service, and for other purposes”.

Introduced: May 15, 2025 by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.)

Action: This bill was referred to both the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture. It was referred to the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands on June 3, 2025, and a hearing was held in that subcommittee on June 10, 2025.

S.2022 (Tribal Tax and Investment Reform Act of 2025). This Senate bill, according to the legislation, would “amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat Indian Tribal governments in the same manner as state governments for certain federal tax purposes, and for other purposes”.

Introduced: June 11, 2025 by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)

Action: The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance on Jun 11, 2025. There is not a scheduled hearing in that Committee for this bill as of press time.

H.R. 3956 (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Act of 2025). This bill would amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 “to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into self-determination contracts and self-governance agreements with Indian entities to administer the food distribution program on Indian reservations”.

Introduced: June 12, 2025 by Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.)

Action: This bill was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture on June 12, 2025. There are no scheduled hearings in that Committee for this bill as of press time.

S. 2160 (Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians Restoration Act of 2025). This Senate seeks the same as H.R. 3255 (Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians Restoration Act of 2025.

Introduced: June 25, 2025 by Sen. Gary C. Peters (D-Mich.)

Action: The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on June 25, 2025. There is not a scheduled hearing in that Committee for this bill as of press time.

H.R. 4276 (To amend the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act). According to congress.gov, this bill amends the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act “to authorize grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations”.

Introduced: July 2, 2025 by Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawai’i)

Action: This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources as well as the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on July 2, 2025. This bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, and a hearing was held in that Subcommittee on Nov. 19, 2025.

S. 2211 (Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act of 2025).This Senate bill seeks to reauthorize the Special Diabetes Program for Type 1 Diabetes and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians. For both programs, it seeks funding in the amount of $160,000,000 for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

Introduced: July 8, 2025 by Sen. Susan M. Collins (R-Maine)

Action: This will was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on July 8, 2025. There are no scheduled hearings in that Committee for this bill as of press time.

H.R. 4463 (To amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993). The text of the legislation states, “Subsection (d) of section 7 of the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land...

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