Sponsors (16)
The bill returns meaningful control, resources, and conservation opportunities to Tribal governments—boosting cultural, ecological, and economic outcomes for indigenous communities—while increasing federal spending, administrative complexity, potential land‑use and public‑health tensions with non‑tribal stakeholders, and some loss of public data transparency.
Indigenous tribal governments gain clearer and expanded authority and a formal role in federal/state decisionmaking over buffalo and habitat, strengthening tribal sovereignty and ensuring tribal management goals guide federal actions.
Tribes receive funding, technical assistance, and capacity-building to restore and manage buffalo herds and habitat, enabling local economic development, subsistence use, and tribal-run meat/processing activities.
Tribal-led reintroduction and management support conservation of the native bison subspecies and can restore habitat and ecosystem functions on tribal lands.
Taxpayers and federal budgets may face increased spending and administrative costs to fund grants, technical assistance, herd transfers, and program administration.
Implementation will add legal and administrative complexity across agencies (changing definitions, new consultation and application processes), creating transitional burdens, slower decision timelines, and planning challenges for federal, state, and local implementers.
Restoration and expanded herds could lead to land‑use conflicts or regulatory friction with non‑tribal landowners, ranchers, and local jurisdictions over grazing, disease risks, and property impacts.
Based on analysis of 9 sections of legislative text.
Creates a Tribal-led buffalo restoration program that authorizes grants/contracts, surplus bison transfers, technical assistance, confidentiality protections, and a seven-year sunset.
Official title: To assist Tribal governments in the management of buffalo and buffalo habitat and the reestablishment of buffalo on Indian land.
Introduced March 17, 2026 by Jeff Hurd · Last progress March 17, 2026
Creates a federal program to support Tribal-led restoration, management, and use of American buffalo (Bison bison bison) on Indian land. It authorizes the Department to enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants with Tribes and qualifying Tribal organizations; transfers surplus Department buffalo to Tribes; provides technical assistance; protects Tribal confidential cultural information; and requires Tribal consultation and a Tribal-conforming Department policy. The Act preserves treaty rights, limits authority to seven years (sunset), and defines key terms and eligible Tribal organizations. It focuses on building Tribal capacity for cultural, subsistence, health, and economic uses of buffalo and habitat rather than creating an open-ended appropriation program.