Senate Committee on Indian Affairs holds business meeting and legislative hearing

Indianz.Com > News > Senate Committee on Indian Affairs holds business meeting and legislative hearing

A view of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building in Washington, D.C. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Indianz.Com

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is convening to consider a closely-watched Native housing bill and to take testimony on pending tribal legislation.

The committee is holding a business meeting on Wednesday afternoon. Only one item is on the agenda: S.5354, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026.

S.5354 reauthorizes the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act. Commonly known as NAHASDA, the federal law expired in September 2013 and Congress has yet to update it.

The committee held a hearing on S.5354 on September 16. The bill is a modified version of S.4276, which had been introduced in the U.S. Senate earlier in 2026.

The committee is also taking testimony on four Indian Country bills. The list follows:

S.1750, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Parity Act. The bill ensures that the Poarch Band of Creek Indians can follow the land-into-trust process in light of uncertainties created by the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. It also reaffirms the legality of the tribe’s prior trust land acquisitions.

S.3859, to amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993 with respect to future membership in the Catawba Indian Nation. The bill confirms that the Catawba Nation can determine its own membership criteria by removing limiting language from a prior act of Congress.

S.4053, to take certain land in the State of California into trust for the benefit of the Pechanga Band of Indians, and for other purposes. The bill places about 1,261 acres in trust for the Pechanga Band of Indians.

H.R.226, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act. The bill places about 76 acres in Tennessee into trust for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. It also creates two permanent easements, covering another 20 acres, for the tribe, headquartered in neighboring North Carolina. The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.226 on February 4, 2025.

A panel of tribal leaders and one U.S. government official will provide testimony on the bills. The witness list follows:

Mr. Brian Mercier [PDF: Testimony]
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C.

The Honorable Stephanie Bryan [PDF: Testimony]
Chairwoman
Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Atmore, Alabama

The Honorable Patricia Leach [PDF: Testimony]
Assistant Chief
Catawba Nation
Rock Hill, South Carolina

The Honorable Mark Macarro [PDF: Testimony]
Chairman
Pechanga Band of Indians
Temecula, California

The Honorable Michell Hicks [PDF: Testimony]
Principal Chief
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Cherokee, North Carolina

The business meeting and legislative hearing are scheduled to take place at 2:30pm Eastern in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. A livestream will be available on indian.senate.gov.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notice

Business Meeting is to consider S.5354 & Legislative Hearing to receive testimony on S. 1750, S. 3859, S. 4053, & H.R. 226 (September 23, 2026)