Thomas Tillis (R-NC)
A bill to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land held in trust for federally recognized Indian Tribes.
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, S. 4813, aims to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land held in trust for federally recognized Indian Tribes. It does this by amending a specific section of the Act of August 9, 1955. The change extends this leasing authority to any Indian tribe included on the list published by the Secretary under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994.
Yes· 3 of 16
- Scored +8
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
Directly benefits federally recognized tribes by expanding their authority to lease land for longer terms.
- Scored +4
Would business owners be better off under this?
Offers significantly more security and longevity for business leases on trust lands.
- Scored +4
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Promotes development in rural areas where tribal trust lands are located.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this give the federal government more power?
While it authorizes a right, it operates within the framework of federal trust land management.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Expanded Leasing Authority: Federally recognized Indian Tribes included on the Secretary's list would be authorized to enter into leases for up to 99 years for land held in trust. This is found in Section 1.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts for people are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Directly benefits federally recognized tribes by expanding their authority to lease land for longer terms. Would business owners be better off under this? — Offers significantly more security and longevity for business leases on trust lands. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Promotes development in rural areas where tribal trust lands are located. Would farmers be better off under this? — Longer lease terms provide greater stability for agricultural operations on trust lands. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Potential for job creation and economic growth in tribal communities.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Increased economic activity on tribal lands can lead to poverty reduction for tribal members. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — Empowers federally recognized tribes with greater autonomy over land use and economic leverage. Does this make housing cost less? — Long-term leasing can facilitate the development of affordable housing projects on tribal lands. Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — Potential for more housing development on trust lands may marginally reduce homelessness.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — Expanding leasing authority facilitates economic development for federally recognized tribes. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Longer lease terms provide more security for small businesses operating on trust lands. Is this likely to create jobs? — Long-term leasing typically encourages more stable commercial development and investment on tribal lands.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Significantly boosts development potential in rural tribal areas through extended lease terms. Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — Provides a more flexible and standardized leasing framework for trust lands. Does this put more money into wind, solar and other renewable power? — Long-term leases are often required for the construction of renewable energy infrastructure.
- Education And Technology
- Does this get reliable internet to more people? — Long-term leases facilitate the installation of broadband infrastructure on tribal lands.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — While it authorizes a right, it operates within the framework of federal trust land management.
- 6/17/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.