The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Modernization Act of 2026 reauthorizes federal housing assistance for Indian tribes and Native Hawaiians through fiscal year 2033 while expanding eligibility to include families with incomes up to 120 percent of the area median. The bill grants tribes greater autonomy by allowing them to set their own rent, procurement, and environmental review policies, and it streamlines regulatory processes by consolidating environmental reviews and exempting certain small-scale projects from specific federal requirements. Additionally, the legislation establishes new grant programs for homeless American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, creates a rental assistance program for homeless Indian veterans, and extends leasehold interests on trust lands to 99 years to improve financing options.
The Native Language Educators in Classrooms Act amends the Head Start Act to create distinct staffing qualification standards for Indian Head Start and Indian Early Head Start programs, separating them from the requirements applied to other center-based programs. Under this bill, teachers and teaching assistants in these specific tribal programs are permitted to be hired if they hold a child development associate credential, an early childhood education certificate from a college or university (including Tribal institutions), or a state-issued certificate that meets minimum standards. Alternatively, staff members may be hired with proof of enrollment in an approved education program, provided they complete the necessary coursework and earn their credential within two years of starting employment.
The Crow Revenue Act transfers specific mineral rights in Montana to the Crow Tribe. It requires the federal government to accept the relinquishment of the Bull Mountains Lease, convey mineral interests to the Hope Family Trust, and then transfer those rights to the Crow Tribe. The bill mandates a revenue-sharing agreement between the Tribe and Hope Family Trust for future development, and exempts these lands from Montana state taxation. This policy change directly affects the Crow Tribe’s land holdings and revenue streams on designated tracts in Musselshell and Big Horn Counties.
This bill amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to establish a 15-day notification deadline for Native Americans who receive emergency medical care from non-Indian Health Service providers or facilities. It directly affects Indigenous individuals seeking emergency treatment outside of IHS facilities by requiring them to notify the Service within 15 days to qualify for payment. The key provision replaces the previous time limitation with a standardized 15-day window for submitting claims. This change simplifies the reimbursement process for emergency care received under existing authority. The bill does not alter eligibility for care but streamlines the administrative requirement for claims processing.
HR 2400, the Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025, transfers approximately 583.79 acres of federal land (managed by the Forest Service) and 40.18 acres of tribal-owned fee land to the Pit River Tribe in federal trust. The land becomes part of the Pit River Tribe Reservation, administered under standard federal trust rules for tribes. The bill explicitly prohibits using this transferred land for tribal gaming operations under federal law. The transfer requires the Secretary of Agriculture to complete a survey within 180 days of enactment and the Tribe to request the fee land transfer.
