To amend the Act of August 9, 1955 (commonly known as the “Long-Term Leasing Act”), to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land in the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation and land held in trust for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), and for other purposes
Summary
What This Bill Does
H.R. 681 amends the Long-Term Leasing Act of 1955. That Act lets listed Tribes lease restricted Indian lands for long terms with federal approval. This bill adds the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) Reservation or trust land to the list of lands eligible for the longer leasing authority.
The practical effect is to let those two Wampanoag tribal governments use leases of up to 99 years for reservation or trust lands, rather than being constrained by shorter default lease periods. Long-term leases can support housing, commercial development, community facilities, energy or utility infrastructure, and financing arrangements that often require lease terms long enough to satisfy lenders or project partners.
Who Benefits and How
Mashpee Wampanoag tribal government benefits because it gains clearer authority to structure long-term land leases on reservation land. Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head tribal government benefits from the same leasing authority for its reservation or trust land. Tribal members benefit if long leases make housing, services, infrastructure, or economic-development projects easier to finance. Real estate developers on tribal land benefit because 99-year lease authority can make projects bankable. Potential residential tenants benefit if the authority supports more housing or community facilities.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Tribal leasing administrators must negotiate, approve, and monitor longer-term leases. Bureau of Indian Affairs leasing staff may need to review lease approvals and land records under the amended Long-Term Leasing Act. Tribal councils must manage long-term land-use tradeoffs because 99-year leases can bind future tribal decision-makers. Developers and tenants must comply with tribal leasing terms and any federal approval conditions.
Key Provisions
- Adds the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation to the Long-Term Leasing Act list.
- Adds the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head reservation or trust land to the Long-Term Leasing Act list.
- Expands practical authority for leases of up to 99 years on covered Wampanoag lands.
- Provides tribal governments with a tool for housing, infrastructure, commercial, and community-facility financing.
- Requires tribal and federal leasing administrators to manage longer-term lease approvals and records.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Adds Mashpee Wampanoag and Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head reservation or trust lands to the Long-Term Leasing Act authority for leases of up to 99 years, expanding tribal control over long-term residential, commercial, infrastructure, and economic-development leases.
Key Policy Areas
Tribal Governments, Land Leasing, Economic Development, Housing
Primary Purpose
Adds Mashpee Wampanoag and Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head reservation or trust lands to the Long-Term Leasing Act authority for leases of up to 99 years, expanding tribal control over long-term residential, commercial, infrastructure, and economic-development leases.
Policy Domains
House resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Mashpee Wampanoag tribal government
- Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head tribal government
- Tribal members
- Real estate developers on tribal land
- Potential residential tenants
Identified Costs
- Tribal leasing administrators
- Bureau of Indian Affairs leasing staff
- Tribal councils
- Developers using tribal leases
- Tenants on tribal land
Legislative Progress
ReportedCommittee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment …
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian …
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to …
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate …
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2357-2358)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules …
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without …
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without …
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, …
Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Mashpee Wampanoag tribal government, Tribal leasing administrators, Tribal members
Positive-direction: Mashpee Wampanoag tribal government, Tribal members, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head tribal government
Negative-direction: Tribal leasing administrators
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "bia"
- → Bureau of Indian Affairs
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology