119 S3478 IS: Indian Buffalo Management Act
U.S. Senate
2025-12-15
text/xml
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II
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3478
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 15, 2025
Mr. Heinrich (for himself and Mr. Mullin) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs
A BILL
To assist Tribal governments in the management of buffalo and buffalo habitat and the reestablishment of buffalo on Indian land.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Indian Buffalo Management Act”.
2.

Findings; purposes
(a)

Findings
Congress finds that—
(1)
buffalo sustained a majority of Indian Tribes in North America for many centuries before buffalo were nearly exterminated by non-Indian hunters in the mid-1800s;
(2)
the historical, cultural, and spiritual connection between buffalo and Indian Tribes has not diminished over time;
(3)
Indian Tribes have long desired the reestablishment of buffalo throughout Indian country for cultural, spiritual, and subsistence purposes; and
(4)
the successful restoration of buffalo would allow an Indian Tribe to benefit from—
(A)
the reintroduction of buffalo into the diets of the members of the Indian Tribe;
(B)
the rekindling of the spiritual and cultural relationship between buffalo and the Indian Tribe; and
(C)
the use of buffalo for economic development, in the case of an Indian Tribe that chooses to use buffalo for economic development.
(b)

Purposes
The purposes of this Act are—
(1)
to fulfill the government-to-government relationship between Tribal governments and the United States in the management of buffalo and buffalo habitat;
(2)
to promote and develop the capacity of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to manage buffalo and buffalo habitat;
(3)
to protect, conserve, and enhance buffalo, which are important to the subsistence, culture, and economic development of many Indian Tribes;
(4)
to promote the development and use of buffalo and buffalo habitat for the maximum practicable benefit of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations, through management of buffalo and buffalo habitats in accordance with integrated resource management plans developed by Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations;
(5)
to develop buffalo herds and increase production of buffalo in order to meet Tribal subsistence, health, cultural, and economic development needs; and
(6)
to promote the inclusion of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations in Department of the Interior, local, regional, national, or international—
(A)
decision-making processes; and
(B)
forums.
3.

Definitions
In this Act:
(1)

Buffalo
The term buffalo means an animal of the subspecies Bison bison bison.
(2)

Buffalo habitat
The term buffalo habitat means Indian land that is managed for buffalo.
(3)

Department
The term Department means the Department of the Interior.
(4)

Indian land
The term Indian land has the meaning given the term in paragraph (2) of section 2601 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3501), except that, in that paragraph, the term Indian reservation shall be considered to have the meaning given the term Indian reservation in paragraph (3) of that section, without regard to the date specified in paragraph (3) of that section.
(5)

Indian Tribe
The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(6)

Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
(7)

Tribal organization
The term Tribal organization means any legally established organization of Indians that—
(A)
(i)
is chartered under section 17 of the Act of June 18, 1934 (commonly known as the “Indian Reorganization Act”) (48 Stat. 988, chapter 576; 25 U.S.C. 5124), and recognized by the governing body of 1 or more Indian Tribes; or
(ii)
is a Tribal corporation federally chartered under section 3 of the Act of June 26, 1936 (commonly known as the “Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act”) (49 Stat. 1967, chapter 831; 25 U.S.C. 5203); and
(B)
has demonstrable experience in the restoration of buffalo and buffalo habitat on Indian land.
4.

Buffalo resource management
(a)

Direction for coordination
The Secretary is directed to work with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations—
(1)
to promote and develop the capacity of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to manage buffalo and buffalo habitat;
(2)
to promote the ability of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to protect, conserve, and enhance populations of buffalo that are owned by Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations;
(3)
to promote the development and use of buffalo and buffalo habitat for the maximum practicable benefit of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations; and
(4)
to promote the inclusion of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations in Department, international, national, regional, and local decision making and forums regarding buffalo and buffalo habitat.
(b)

Contracts and grants authorized
(1)

In general
The Secretary shall enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, and award grants to, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to enable the Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations—
(A)
to plan, conduct, or implement a buffalo restoration or management program;
(B)
to plan and execute commercial activities related to buffalo or buffalo products;
(C)
to support the use and deployment of mobile Tribal or Tribal organization meat processing facilities; or
(D)
to carry out other activities relating to buffalo restoration and management.
(2)

No diminishment of laws and regulations
Nothing in this subsection diminishes any Federal or State law (including regulations) regarding diseased buffalo or buffalo that escape from Indian land.
(c)

Technical assistance
The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization that enters into a contract or cooperative agreement or receives a grant under this section to assist the Indian Tribe or Tribal organization in—
(1)
carrying out the activities of a buffalo or buffalo habitat restoration or management program; and
(2)
implementing the activities described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of subsection (b)(1).
5.

Consultation; coordination
(a)

Consultation
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and on an ongoing basis thereafter, the Secretary shall consult with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations on initiatives of the Department that affect buffalo or buffalo habitat, including efforts of the Department to contain or eradicate diseased buffalo.
(b)

Coordination
The Secretary shall develop a policy relating to buffalo and buffalo habitat management activities on Indian land, in accordance with—
(1)
the goals and objectives described in buffalo management programs approved by Indian Tribes; and
(2)
Tribal laws and ordinances.
6.

Protection of information
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall not disclose or cause to be disclosed any information provided to the Secretary by an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization that is identified by the Indian Tribe or Tribal organization as culturally sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential.
7.

Buffalo from Federal land
(a)

In general
The Secretary may enter into an agreement with an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization to dispose of surplus buffalo on Federal land administered by the Department, as applicable, by transporting such buffalo onto Indian land.
(b)

Application
An Indian Tribe or Tribal organization may submit to the Secretary an application to receive buffalo described in subsection (a) at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(c)

Waiver of charges
The Secretary may waive any charges for the buffalo described in subsection (a), including any deposit or payment for services as described in section 10.2 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation).
8.

Treaty rights retained
Nothing in this Act alters, modifies, diminishes, or extinguishes the treaty rights of any Indian Tribe.
9.

Sunset
The authority provided by this Act ceases to be effective on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.