119th (2025–2027)
S. 3383
This bill updates federal laws governing leases and rights-of-way on tribal land to give Indian tribes more control over how their land is used for economic development. It expands the 1955 Long-Term Leasing Act to cover land held in trust for any federally recognized tribe, not just those specifically named in the original law, and removes outdated caps on lease terms. It also amends a 1948 law on rights-of-way so that tribes can approve their own rights-of-way agreements, such as for roads, pipelines, or utility lines, using tribal regulations that the Secretary of the Interior reviews and approves, rather than requiring federal approval for every individual agreement. To get this authority, a tribe must submit its own regulations, including an environmental review process, to the Interior Department, which has 180 days to approve or reject them; approved tribal rules are exempt from certain federal environmental laws like NEPA and the Endangered Species Act. The bill also sets up procedures for the federal government to step in if a tribe violates its own approved regulations, including notice, a hearing, and a chance to fix the problem before losing this self-governing authority.