House takes up tribal homelands and Udall Foundation bills

Indianz.Com > News > House takes up tribal homelands and Udall Foundation bills

The U.S. Capitol houses the legislative branch of the U.S. government. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Monday, February 5, 2024

Indianz.Com

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to approve two bills of interest in Indian Country.

The measures are due to be considered under a suspension of the rules, according to the House Majority Leader’s calendar. The process is typically used for legislation that is considered non-controversial and for bills with broad bipartisan support.

The bills are:

• H.R.2882, the Udall Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2023. The bill reauthorizes the Udall Foundation through 2028. The Udall Foundation, named after former U.S. Congressmen Mo and Stewart Udall from Arizona, provides scholarships and internships to students who are working on Native issues. It also supports advocacy and research on Native issues and provides mediation and training services.

Indianz.Com Audio: Charles Rose / Udall Foundation [H.R. 2882]

A hearing on H.R.2882 took place before the House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs on July 12, 2023, with Board of Trustees Chair Charles Rose testifying in support. The House Committee on Natural Resources approved the bill at a markup session on November 15, 2023.

• H.R.1240, the Winnebago Land Transfer Act of 2023. The bill returns about 1,600 acres to the Winnebago Tribe. The land, located in Iowa, was promised to the tribe by treaty but was later illegally condemned and taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The tribe has homelands in Nebraska and Iowa.