S 3859 United States Senate · 119th Congress

A bill 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.

S 3859 amends the 1993 settlement act for the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina by removing a specific requirement for future tribal membership. Currently, the law states that new members must be direct descendants of individuals on the original membership roll and must have maintained ongoing political ties with the tribe. This bill eliminates that requirement, allowing the Catawba Indian Nation to establish its own membership criteria without federal constraints. The change directly affects the Catawba Indian Nation by altering how it determines eligibility for tribal membership.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Feb 12, 2026 Last action Feb 12, 2026
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Committee
1
Feb 12, 2026
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

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