[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 2, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3754-H3755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ALBUQUERQUE INDIAN SCHOOL ACT OF 2025
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6162) to transfer certain Federal land into trust for
certain Indian Pueblos in the State of New Mexico, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6162
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Albuquerque Indian School
Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF LAND INTO TRUST FOR THE 19 PUEBLOS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) 19 pueblos.--The term ``19 Pueblos'' means the New
Mexico Indian Pueblos of--
(A) Acoma;
(B) Cochiti;
(C) Isleta;
(D) Jemez;
(E) Laguna;
(F) Nambe;
(G) Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan);
(H) Picuris;
(I) Pojoaque;
(J) San Felipe;
(K) San Ildefonso;
(L) Sandia;
(M) Santa Ana;
(N) Santa Clara;
(O) Santo Domingo;
(P) Taos;
(Q) Tesuque;
(R) Zia; and
(S) Zuni.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(3) Survey.--Except as provided in subsection (e), the term
``survey'' means the survey plat entitled ``Plat of Tracts 1
Thru 3 Lands of US Indian Service and Bureau of Indian
Affairs'', prepared by Surv-Tek, Inc., and dated May 2023.
(b) Transfer of Jurisdiction.--Not later than 90 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of
General Services shall--
(1) complete the relocation of all Federal tenants; and
(2) transfer to the Secretary administrative jurisdiction
over the Federal land described in subsection (d).
(c) Land Into Trust.--Not later than 90 days after
completion of the relocation of all Federal tenants under
subsection (b)(1) and transfer of administrative jurisdiction
under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary shall take into trust
all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to
the Federal land described in subsection (d) for the benefit
of the 19 Pueblos.
(d) Federal Land.--The Federal land referred to in this
section is the 3 tracts of Federal land, the combined acreage
of which is approximately 9.89 acres, that were historically
part of the Albuquerque Indian School and, as of the date of
enactment of this Act, are under the administrative
jurisdiction of the General Services Administration, more
particularly described as follows:
(1) Tract 1.--The approximately 3.57 acres located in secs.
7 and 8 of T. 10 N., R. 3 E., of the New Mexico Principal
Meridian in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on which stands a 76,682
square foot warehouse, as identified on the survey.
(2) Tract 2.--The approximately 5.78 acres located in secs.
7 and 8 of T. 10 N., R. 3 E., of the New Mexico Principal
Meridian in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as identified on the
survey.
(3) Tract 3.--The approximately .54 acres located in secs.
7 and 8 of T. 10 N., R. 3 E., of the New Mexico Principal
Meridian in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as identified on the
survey.
(e) Survey.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary--
(A) shall obtain, with respect to the land transferred
under subsection (b)(2)--
(i) a survey; and
(ii) from the Administrator of General Services, copies of
all encumbrances of the land; and
(B) may make minor corrections to the survey and legal
description of the Federal land described in subsection (d)
as the Secretary determines to be necessary to correct
clerical, typographical, and surveying land title errors.
(2) Availability.--The survey and all applicable transfer
documents obtained under paragraph (1) shall be recorded in
the public records of the County Clerk Office of Bernalillo
County, New Mexico, and in the appropriate Land Titles and
Records Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
(f) Use of Land.--The Federal land taken into trust under
subsection (c) shall be--
(1) used for the educational, health, cultural, business,
and economic development of the 19 Pueblos; and
(2) subject to Federal laws applicable to Indian trust land
in the State of New Mexico.
(g) Limitations and Conditions.--The Federal land taken
into trust under subsection (c) shall remain subject to any
private or municipal encumbrance, right-of-way, restriction,
easement of record, or utility service agreement in effect on
the date of enactment of this Act.
(h) Conveyance of Buildings and Other Structures.--Not
later than 90 days after the relocation of all Federal
tenants in subsection (b)(1) and the transfer of
administrative jurisdiction under subsection (b)(2), the
United
[[Page H3755]]
States shall convey all ownership interests of the United
States in all buildings, structures, improvements, and
appurtenances located within Tract 1 described in subsection
(d)(1), to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, to own in fee.
(i) Gaming Prohibition.--The land taken into trust under
subsection (c) shall not be used for any class II gaming or
class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (as
those terms are defined in section 4 of that Act (25 U.S.C.
2703)).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms.
Stansbury) 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 in which to revise and extend their remarks
and to add extraneous material on H.R. 6162, 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 assume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 6162, the Albuquerque Indian
School Act of 2025. This legislation conveys approximately 9.89 acres
of Federal land in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Department of the
Interior to be held in trust for the 19 pueblos of New Mexico. The land
is currently owned by the General Services Administration.
The transfer includes three tracts formerly used by the Albuquerque
Indian School, which operated for a century, from 1881 to 1981. Those
tracts remain historically and culturally significant to the 19
pueblos.
H.R. 6162 requires the 19 pueblos to use the transferred land for
educational and cultural purposes, as well as economic development. The
legislation has received wide support from the All Pueblo Council of
Governors, the Albuquerque City Council, the Greater Albuquerque
Chamber of Commerce, and various local officials. It also includes a
prohibition on gaming, subject to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is always a good day when New Mexico is in the House,
and we are in the House today with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center,
which is why I am so honored to be able to speak about my legislation
supported by the entire New Mexico delegation, H.R. 6162, which is the
Albuquerque Indian School Act.
Back home in New Mexico, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is a place
for community, culture, language, celebration, education, and economic
development for our 19 pueblos right in the heart of my hometown in
Albuquerque.
What is now the nationally recognized Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
was once the Albuquerque Indian School, which was established as an
Indian boarding school in the 1880s. Although the school operated
through 1981, Congress began efforts to return the property to New
Mexico's 19 pueblos in 1969, and the center was reopened as a cultural
center in 1976. Since then, Congress has passed a number of bills to
place this land into trust for the benefit of the pueblos.
H.R. 6162 continues this important work, and this bill will transfer
9.89 acres of land that was historically a part of the former
Albuquerque Indian School from the GSA to the Department of the
Interior so that it can be taken into trust for the benefit of our 19
pueblos who helped to govern the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.
{time} 1520
The IPCC campus serves as a vibrant gathering place, where Pueblo
culture is celebrated through community events, educational
experiences, the arts, and economic opportunities for Pueblo and local
economic development.
This property is managed by the All Pueblo Council of Governors and
New Mexico's 19 sovereign Pueblos. This council traces its origins back
to before 1598 and is one of the oldest, continuous intertribal
governing organizations in North America today. It serves as a
collective voice for the Pueblo nations. Through leadership, advocacy,
and cultural stewardship, the council works to protect Tribal
sovereignty and advance the shared priorities of our Pueblo
communities.
Under the leadership and dedication of the Pueblos, a site that was
once marked by trauma and cultural loss has been transformed into a
place of renewal, resilience, and investment in Tribal communities.
Since its opening in 1976, the IPCC has served as a living hub for
Pueblo languages, art, culture, dance, storytelling, and empowerment of
our Pueblo communities, right in the heart of our city, as thousands of
visitors from all over the world come every year to visit.
We invite everyone across the country and the world to come visit and
to join us in celebrating Pueblo culture. The center serves as a home
not only to the thriving communities of our New Mexico Pueblo
communities but also as a place for education. It is home to regional
BIE and BIA offices; tribally run businesses; a Native-run charter
school; and a meeting space, of course, for the All Pueblo Council of
Governors.
Mr. Speaker, passing H.R. 6162 will allow the IPCC to continue to
expand its work to promote cultural preservation, economic opportunity,
community development, and economic development, while honoring the
history, traditions, and enduring strength of the 19 Pueblos. It also
represents another step in restoring Tribal stewardship over ancestral
lands and ensuring that this historic site continues to serve future
generations in New Mexico.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6162 furthers the 19 Pueblos'
efforts to consolidate parcels of land related to the former
Albuquerque Indian School, which holds significant cultural and
historical value. I commend my colleague, the gentlewoman from New
Mexico (Ms. Stansbury), for her work on behalf of her constituents.
Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, 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. 6162, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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