Federally Recognized Tribe Leasing Authority

Floor Speech

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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''.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. 5910, the bill now under consideration.

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.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Hageman), the lead sponsor of this bill.

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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.

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