Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Longworth House Office Building 1324
Presiding: The Honorable Raúl M. Grijalva, Chair

The House Committee on Natural Resources meets for a markup on June 15, 2022.

Five Indian Country bills are on the agenda, which resumes work that began during a session that went awry amid a partisan-led dispute on June 8.

• H.R.5444, the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act. The bill requires the federal government to investigate the Indian boarding school era through a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States and a Truth and Healing Advisory Committee. A hearing before the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States took place on May 12.

• H.R.6063, a bill to authorize the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to hear a land claim from the Miami Nation, headquartered in Oklahoma. The tribe has a treaty-based claim to 2.6 million acres in the state of Illinois. A hearing before the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States took place on April 27.

• H.R.6181, the Samish Indian Nation Land Reaffirmation Act. The bill confirms the acquisition of 6.7 acres in Washington in trust for the Samish Nation. A hearing before the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States took place on April 27.

• H.R.6707, the Advancing Equality for Wabanaki Nations Act. The bill ensures that the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Passamaquoddy Tribe [Indian Township | Pleasant Point] and the Penobscot Nation are treated in the same manner as other Indian nations in terms of law and policy. A land claim settlement currently imposes hurdles on the tribes when it comes to their sovereignty. A hearing before the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States took place on March 31.

• S.789, the Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes Act or the RESPECT Act. The bipartisan bill repeals outdated racist and discriminatory laws that were imposed on tribes and their citizens. A hearing before the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States took place on April 27. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs approved S.789 at a business meeting on March 24. The bill subsequently passed the U.S. Senate on May 27.

Note: Two additional pieces of legislation that were on the June 8 agenda are not on the June 15 agenda. They are:

• S.314, the Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund Repeal Act. The Klamath Tribes, headquartered in Oregon, are seeking to repeal a termination-era law that affects their trust funds and trust assets. A hearing before the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States took place on April 27. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs approved S.314 at a business meeting on March 10. The bill subsequently passed the U.S. Senate on May 26.

• S.559, a bill to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to address lands held in trust in Oregon for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. A hearing before the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States took place on April 27. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs approved S.559 at a business meeting on March 10. The bill subsequently passed the U.S. Senate on May 26.

Markup Notice (naturalresources.house.gov)
Markup of HR 263, HR 5444, HR 6063, HR 6181, HR 6337, HR 6427, HR 6707, HR 6734, HR 7002, HR 7025, HR 7075, S. 789 (docs.house.gov)