Today, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held a legislative hearing on four bills that will support tribal sovereignty, cut bureaucratic red tape and boost economic development. Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) issued the following statement in response:

"I am proud to hold today's hearing on four bills that will support our tribal communities. These bills will support tribal sovereignty, the restoration of tribal homelands, cut bureaucratic red tape, and boost economic development."

Background

H.R. 2130, the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to process and complete all residential and business mortgage packages on Indian land within 20 or 30 days, depending on the type of application. This would more closely align the BIA’s processing of mortgage packages with current mortgage industry practices.

H.R. 2815, the Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska), will finalize a land conveyance to the Cape Fox Village Corporation for the Alaskan Native communities of Saxman, Alaska and help promote the development of a power generation facility at Mahoney Lake in Ketchikan, Alaska.

H.R. 3073, the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Jurisdictional Clarity Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), ensures that Utah state courts hold jurisdiction over civil cases involving the Shivwits Band that occur on their tribal lands, while ensuring the tribe’s sovereign immunity is upheld. This will foster greater economic certainty for the tribe and potential investors. Furthermore, the bill would amend the Long-Term Leasing Act to permit the tribe to lease their trust land for a term of up to 99 years.

H.R. 2388, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Emily Randall (D-Wash.), will place approximately 1,083 acres of National Park Service land into trust for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe within the Olympic Peninsula in northwest Washington.