Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

Grand Ronde Land Transfer Act of 2026

S. 5440 · Senate bill Native Americans

A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor

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

  1. Introduced
  2. In Committee

What this bill would do

The bill is known as the Grand Ronde Land Transfer Act of 2026. It transfers administrative jurisdiction of approximately 18,628 acres of Federal land from the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of the Interior. This land will be held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. The land will become part of the Grand Ronde Reservation and will be subject to certain restrictions regarding gaming and log exports. The text also requires the Secretary to complete a survey and establish a legal description of the land within two years. Finally, the land will remain open to the public for hunting, fishing, and general recreation, subject to specific restrictions by the Tribe.

Yes· 3 of 4

  • Scored +7

    Would Native Americans be better off under this?

    The bill directly benefits the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community by placing approximately 18,628 acres of land into trust for them.

  • Scored +5

    Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?

    The bill places federal land into trust for the benefit of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, supporting Native American self-determination.

  • Scored +4

    Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests?

    The legislation transfers administrative jurisdiction of federal land to be held in trust for the Tribe while maintaining public recreational access.

The opposite

No question was scored the opposite.