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. 2160 (A bill to reaffirm and clarify the federal relationships of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians of Michigan as a federally recognized Indian Tribe). 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. There is not a scheduled hearing 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 by Rep. Charles J. “Chuck” Fleischmann (R-Tenn.)
Action: This bill was passed in the House by a voice vote on Feb. 4. 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.107 (Lumbee Fairness Act). This Senate bill would grant federal acknowledgement to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, a state-recognized group.
Introduced: Jan. 16 by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
Action: The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. There is not a scheduled hearing in that Committee for this bill as of press time.
H.R. 474 (Lumbee Fairness Act). This House bill would grant federal acknowledgment to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, a state-recognized group. This bill is identical to S. 107.
Introduced: Jan. 16 by Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.)
Action: This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. There is not a scheduled hearing 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 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. No further action has been taken on this bill.
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 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. 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 by Rep. Donald G. Davis (D-N.C.)
Action: This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. 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 by Rep. Hillar J. Scholten (D-Mich.)
Action: This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. 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 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, and a hearing was held in that subcommittee on June 10.
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 by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
Action: The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. 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. There are no scheduled hearings in that Committee for this bill as of press time.
(Note: Due it is containing parts that affect Indian Country, we include this bill.)
H.R. 1. (One Big Beautiful Bill Act). According to Congress.gov, “This bill reduces taxes, reduces or increases spending for various federal programs, increases the statutory debt limit, and otherwise addresses agencies and programs throughout the federal government. It is known as a reconciliation bill and includes legislation submitted by 11 House committees pursuant to provisions in the FY2025 congressional budget resolution (H Con. Res. 14) that directed the committees to submit legislation to the House Budget Committee that will increase or decrease the deficit and increase the statutory debt limit by specified amounts. (Reconciliation bills are considered by Congress using expedited legislative procedures that prevent a filibuster and restrict amendments in the Senate.)”
Introduced: May 20, 2025 by Rep. Jodey C. Arrington (R-Texas)
Action: It passed the House on May 22, 2025 by a vote of 215-214-1. It was amended in the Senate and passed by a vote of 51-50 on July 1, 2025. It now goes back to the House for review after being amended and passed in the Senate.
Effects on Indian Country
The National Indian Health Board said in a statement following passage of the bill in the House, “It includes big changes that affect Indian Country. National Indian Health Board and our tribal partners worked hard to ensure key protections stayed in the bill, but there’s still more to do as it heads to the Senate.”
NIHB highlighted the following in an infographic entitled “What H.R. 1 means for Tribal Health”:
- “Work Requirement Exemption: American Indian/Alaska Native individuals remain exempt from Medicaid work requirements, protecting coverage and HIS resources.
- Cost-sharing Protections: IHS-eligible individuals keep their exemption from out-of-pocket costs, honoring trust and treaty obligations.
- Retroactive coverage Shortened: Medicaid and CHIP coverage would shrink from three months to one month before application, limiting access for those in need.
- Staffing Rule Moratorium: Stops harmful nurse staffing mandates in long-term care. Helps keep tribal facilities open and elders close to home.
- PBM Reform: Spread pricing banned in Medicaid, ensuring fair reimbursement for IHS and tribal pharmacies, and access to meds.”
There are other places in the bill relating to American Indian tribes. Sec. 42110 states, “This section rescinds funding to update the EPA’s Integrated Compliance Information System and any associated systems, necessary information technology infrastructure, or public access software tools to ensure access to compliance data and related information. Further, it also rescinds funding for grants to states, Indian tribes, and air pollution control agencies to update their systems to ensure communication with EPA’s system. Finally, it rescinds funding to the EPA for updating inspection software or acquiring such software or devices on which to run the software.”
Sec. 42114 states, “This section repeals the EPA’s program that awards grants to states, air pollution control agencies, municipalities, and Indian tribes for developing and implementing plans to reduce greenhouse gas air pollution.”
Several other mentions of American Indians include:
- 110108: “Recognizing Indian tribal governments for purposes of determining whether a child has special needs for purposes of the adoption credit”
- 111108 (Modification to Low-Income Housing Credit)(c) “Temporary including of Indian areas and rural areas as difficult development areas for purposes of certain buildings” – “a building shall not be treated as located in such area unless such building is assisted or financed under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996 or the project sponsor is an Indian tribe”
Here is the contact information for your federal legislators:
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.): https://www.tillis.senate.gov/email-me
Sen. Tedd Budd (R-N.C.): https://www.budd.senate.gov/contact/
11th District Congressional Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.): https://edwards.house.gov/contact
