FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE LEASING AUTHORITY

FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE LEASING AUTHORITY

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 40 (Tuesday, March 3, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 3, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2348-H2349] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE LEASING AUTHORITY Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5910) to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land held in trust for federally recognized Indian Tribes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 5910 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE LEASING AUTHORITY. Subsection (a) of the first section of the Act of August 9, 1955 (69 Stat. 539, chapter 615; 25 U.S.C. 415(a)), is amended, in the second sentence, by inserting ``, land held in trust for any other Indian Tribe included on the list published by the Secretary pursuant to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131)'' after ``Chehalis Reservation''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. General Leave Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5910, the bill now under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas? There was no objection. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5910, introduced by Representative Hageman of Wyoming, would amend the Long-Term Leasing Act to authorize all federally recognized Indian Tribes to lease land held in trust for up to 99 years. Under current law, Indian trust lands may generally be leased for up to 25 years, with one additional 25-year renewal term. While Congress has repeatedly amended the act to authorize specific Tribes to enter 99-year leases, this authority is not uniformly available across Indian Country. As a result, Tribes must often seek separate legislation to obtain the same long-term leasing authority that others already possess. Lease terms of up to 99 years are frequently necessary to support major commercial development and secure private financing. Without long-term certainty, lenders and investors may be reluctant to commit capital to projects on trust land. H.R. 5910 addresses this issue by extending 99-year leasing authority to all federally recognized Tribes, eliminating the need for Tribe-by- Tribe amendments, while maintaining the Secretary of the Interior's approval requirement. This approach promotes parity, reduces administrative delays, and supports economic development in Tribal communities. I commend Ms. Hageman for advancing legislation that promotes consistency and opportunity across Indian Country, and I support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government has a long history of restricting the autonomy of Tribal nations, and it is reflected throughout Federal Indian law. Many laws on the books, even if they were well intended, have created barriers to Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. The Long-Term Leasing Act is one of these laws. It authorizes Tribal nations to enter into lease agreements for up to 25 years, with the option to renew for an additional 25 years. A 25-year lease is often too short to provide the certainty necessary for development in Indian Country, where long-term investments in housing and infrastructure are critical to supporting Tribal communities. Congress has repeatedly recognized this problem and addressed it piecemeal, passing individual bills for over 50 Tribes to authorize lease terms of up to 99 years. H.R. 5910 would extend the authority to enter into 99-year lease agreements to all federally recognized Tribes. This will provide a uniform standard that better respects Tribal sovereignty. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman), the lead sponsor of this bill. Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 5910, which amends the Long-Term Leasing Act to authorize any federally recognized Indian Tribe to lease land held in trust for its benefit for up to 99 years. With the enactment of the Indian Nonintercourse Act in 1834, Tribal land transactions have generally required congressional authorization. In 1955, however, Congress passed the Long-Term Leasing Act, authorizing Tribal lands held in trust to be leased by the Tribal owner for nongrazing purposes for up to 25 years, subject to approval from the Secretary of the Interior. These leases may be renewed for one additional term of up to 25 years, which could allow for a total lease time of up to 50 years. It is becoming abundantly clear that longer term leasing is needed to assist with Tribal economic development. For example, lease terms of 99 years are often needed for long-term commercial projects and financing arrangements. Requiring Tribes to come to [[Page H2349]] Congress for enactment of a new authorization slows the process to the detriment of the Tribe. Although Congress has acted more than 50 times to allow for lease terms greater than 25 years, more autonomy and flexibility are needed. H.R. 5910 amends the Long-Term Leasing Act to grant 99-year lease authority over trust lands for any Tribe that desires this ability. Tribes know best what is in their interest, and this bill gives them additional authority to meet those needs. By proactively extending this long-term leasing authority to Tribes, Congress can empower them to pursue longer agreements that drive long-term investment, job creation, and economic opportunity in their communities. These goals simply cannot be achieved under the current statute. At its core, H.R. 5910 would update existing law to better align with modern business practices, reduce time-consuming bureaucracy Tribes must go through, and allow each federally recognized Tribe to determine what lease authorities are best for them and their members. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Leger Fernandez for her continued co-leadership on this important piece of legislation and Chairman Westerman for our Natural Resources Committee's focus on Tribal autonomy and economic development. I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 5910. {time} 1520 Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5910 ensures that all federally recognized Tribes have equal access to long-term leasing authority necessary for economic development and financing. By extending 99-year leasing authority across all of Indian Country, this bill promotes fairness, efficiency, and investment in Tribal communities. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Hageman for her leadership on this issue. I urge the passage of H.R. 5910, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5910. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________

Referenced legislation: HR5910, HR5910