This week, three bills from the House Committee on Natural Resources passed the U.S. House of Representatives with significant bipartisan support. Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

"Our committee has worked hard this Congress to pass commonsense bills helping Americans across the country. Arkansas is known across the country for our incredible duck habitats and hunting, so I’m glad to support legislation codifying much-needed modernizations to the federal Duck Stamp program. We also passed bills intended to memorialize the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre and to provide much-needed reforms that will help protect Native American children and families. I was honored to vote for these bills and hope to see them moved quickly and signed into law."

Background 

H.R. 3371, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), would place approximately 40 acres of fee land located within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation into restricted fee status for the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The land to be placed into restricted fee would be held in memorial as a sacred site for the approximately 300 Indian people killed in the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890 that occurred on the site.

H.R. 2872, introduced by U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), would modernize the Duck Stamp program and specifically allow waterfowl hunters the option for immediate purchase of an electronic Duck Stamp, which they could carry with them on their license or on their phones for the entire waterfowl season. Historically, sportsmen and women have been required to carry a physical signed copy of their Duck Stamp attached to their license.

H.R. 663 ,the Native American Child Protection Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), would amend the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act, which is intended to assist in the prevention of cases within Indian communities where child abuse, neglect, family violence, and trauma may occur, and to provide treatment for victims of Indian child sexual abuse.