[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.
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