S.Amdt. 6612

SA 6612 is an amendment to bill S. 4784 that creates a new division for Indian Affairs. Its purpose is to expand tribal opportunities, resolve land claims, address historical traumas, and improve public health and safety for Native American and Native Hawaiian communities.

The amendment aims to add the following to the bill:

• Land Transfers, Rights, and Management:

  • Modifies laws on tribal leases and rights-of-way to unlock economic opportunities.
  • Adds the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation and land held for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to the Long-Term Leasing Act.
  • Directs the conveyance of property in Anchorage, Alaska, to the Southcentral Foundation.
  • Reaffirms land trust authority for the Lytton Rancheria of California.
  • Transfers approximately 1,082.63 acres of Federal land to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, though this land cannot be used for gaming.
  • Authorizes the transfer of federal land to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
  • Provides a $33,900,000 land claim settlement for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community regarding "Swamp Lands" and "Canal Lands."
  • Gives the United States Court of Federal Claims jurisdiction over a land claim by the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
  • Amends the 2010 Settlement Act for Crow Tribe Water Rights by creating the Crow CIP Implementation Account and the MR&I Projects Account for water infrastructure and potential land purchases.

• Public Safety and Law Enforcement:

  • Requires the Attorney General to provide annual reports on Department of Justice staffing and vacancies in Indian country, alongside a GAO study on unmet staffing needs for law enforcement, corrections, and court personnel.
  • Establishes a 5-year demonstration program to speed up background checks for Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement applicants.
  • Appoints Tribal facilitators for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and creates a grant program (authorized at $1,000,000 per year from 2027 to 2031) to coordinate investigations into missing persons, death cases, and sexual violence.
  • Directs a GAO study on evidence collection and processing in Indian country.
  • Requires coordination for mental health and wellness programs for law enforcement officers.

• Truth, Healing, and Governance:

  • Establishes the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2026 to investigate the history and effects of boarding schools.
  • Accepts the Lower Sioux Indian Community request to revoke its charter of incorporation.

• Public Health and Financial Services:

  • Creates the IHS Workforce Parity Act of 2026 to adjust loan repayment and scholarship service obligations.
  • Establishes public health veterinary services to control zoonotic diseases in rural communities.
  • Creates grant programs for Native American Tourism.
  • Authorizes adjusted interest payments for the Navajo Nation, Taos Pueblo, and Aamodt Settlement Pueblos' funds.