Bill · S. 643· Senate(119-S-643)
A bill to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to address the hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community, and for other purposes.
- Introduced
- 2/20/2025
- Last activity
- 2/20/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- Jeff Merkley
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill seeks to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act. It specifically addresses the hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community. The bill outlines how the current Grand Ronde Hunting and Fishing Agreement remains in effect until replaced by successor government-to-government agreements. It also establishes rules for how future agreements or amendments can be made between the Tribes and the State of Oregon. Additionally, the bill modifies how the United States District Court for the District of Oregon reviews actions related to the Consent Decree.
Yes· 3 of 5
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?+6
The bill expands judicial review by requiring the District Court to review applications on the merits without regard to the defenses of res judicata or collateral estoppel.
Would Native Americans be better off under this?+5
The bill protects tribal sovereignty by prohibiting new agreements from defining or limiting existing treaty and ancestral rights.
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?+5
The bill includes specific language to prevent future agreements from abrogating or limiting the ancestral and treaty rights of the Grand Ronde Community.
The opposite
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-4
The bill specifies that future tribal hunting and fishing rights shall derive solely from the authority of the State of Oregon.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of Tribal Rights: Under Section (b)(3)(A), any new or amended agreements are prohibited from purporting to affirm, recognize, establish, expand, adjudiate, waive, limit, abrogate or otherwise affect the ancestral, aboriginal, treaty, statutory, equitable, or other applicable rights of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community or any other Indian Tribe. This provides a safeguard for existing rights.
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Protection of Tribal Rights: Section (d) states that nothing in the section or future agreements shall have the force or effect of determining, defining, affirming, recognizing, abrogating, limiting, or affecting the rights or claims of any Indian Tribe, including treaty and other sovereign rights.
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Judicial Review Access: Section (c) dictates that in actions brought to rescind, overturn, modify, or provide relief under Federal law from the Consent Decree, the United States District Court for the District of Oregon shall review the application on the merits without regard to the defense of res judicata or collateral estoppel.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Limitation of Rights Authority: According to Section (b)(4), all hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal gathering rights of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community in any successor or amended agreement entered into after the enactment of this paragraph shall derive solely from the authority of the State of Oregon.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Native Americans+5Good For Rural Residents+2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Racial Equity+5
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+3
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process+6Increase States Rights-4
- 2/20/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon