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HR 1246118th CongressFailed / ExpiredHouse

To authorize leases of up to 99 years for land held in trust for federally recognized Indian Tribes.

Policy Area: Native Americans
View on Congress.gov
Origin Chamber
House
Last Updated
Jun 20, 2025
Latest Action Date
Apr 10, 2024

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Official Summary

Official summary has not been imported yet.

GovScope Watchdog™

AI Government Intelligence™
Executive Summary

This bill, introduced in the 118th Congress as H.R. 1246, seeks to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land held in trust for federally recognized Indian Tribes. The legislation aims to extend the maximum lease term beyond existing limits, potentially providing tribes with greater flexibility and long-term planning capabilities for the use and development of their trust lands. The bill was received in the Senate, read twice, and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs but ultimately failed or expired without becoming law. No full text or official summary is available in the source data.

Bottom Line

H.R. 1246 proposed extending lease terms on tribal trust lands to 99 years to enhance land use options for federally recognized Indian Tribes but did not advance to enactment.

Policy Risk Level
🟡 Medium
Neutral Risk Assessment
Key Points
  • Authorizes leases of up to 99 years on land held in trust for federally recognized Indian Tribes.
  • Aims to provide tribes with longer-term leasing options compared to current statutory limits.
  • The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs but failed or expired without passage.
Who Benefits?

['Federally recognized Indian Tribes', 'Tribal land management authorities', 'Potential lessees or developers on tribal trust lands']

Potential Concerns

['Implementation challenges related to managing longer-term leases on trust lands.', 'Potential oversight and enforcement complexities over extended lease durations.', 'Unclear fiscal impacts or administrative costs due to lack of detailed bill text.']

Political Context

The bill was introduced in the House during the 118th Congress and referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs after being received in the Senate. It addresses a policy area focused on Native American land management and tribal sovereignty. The bill did not progress to enactment and is currently classified as failed or expired.

Hidden Impact Review

Hidden impact flags detected: 1

GovScope reviewed 1 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.

1 Detected
Detected Flags
Indirect Effects

['Longer lease terms may encourage increased investment and development on tribal trust lands.', 'Extended leases could affect tribal land sovereignty and future land use planning.', 'Potential changes in revenue streams for tribes from long-term leases.']

GovScope Watchdog Notes

The absence of a full bill text and official summary limits detailed analysis. Oversight considerations include monitoring lease administration over extended periods and ensuring tribal interests are protected. Transparency about lease terms and enforcement mechanisms will be important for accountability.

Passage Likelihood: LowConfidence: 75%Model: gpt-4.1-mini

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