Sponsors (8)
The bill empowers Tribes to restore and manage buffalo—advancing cultural restoration, conservation, and local economic opportunities—while increasing federal spending, administrative complexity, biosecurity and coordination risks, and creating uncertainty when programs sunset after seven years.
Tribal governments and communities gain clear authority, funding, grants, technical assistance, and application pathways to restore, acquire, and manage buffalo herds—strengthening tribal self‑determination and cultural restoration (ceremonial use, food sovereignty, herd management).
Tribes can develop commercial buffalo activities (meat processing, tourism, crafts) and acquire surplus animals at reduced or no cost, creating local jobs and new revenue opportunities for tribal and rural economies.
Returning and managing buffalo on tribal lands advances conservation and habitat protection—supporting biodiversity and ecosystem health through tribal stewardship.
Taxpayers and federal budgets may face increased spending for grants, technical assistance, animal transfers, and program administration to support buffalo restoration on tribal lands.
Moving animals between federal and tribal lands and expanding commercial buffalo activities could raise disease transmission and public‑health/biosecurity risks for tribal and neighboring communities if veterinary safeguards are inadequate.
Reintroducing or expanding buffalo herds may create land‑use conflicts and added management costs for nearby ranchers, homeowners, and local/state governments and complicate interstate or interagency wildlife coordination.
Based on analysis of 9 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes the Interior Department to partner with Tribes to restore and manage buffalo on Indian land, provide grants/technical help, transfer surplus federal bison, protect tribal confidential info, and sunsets after seven years.
Introduced March 17, 2026 by Jeff Hurd · Last progress March 17, 2026
Creates a focused federal program to help Indian Tribes restore, manage, and use plains bison (buffalo) on Indian land. It directs the Department of the Interior to work with Tribes and qualified Tribal organizations; authorize contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and technical assistance for herd restoration, habitat management, tribal-owned processing and commercial activities; allow transfer of surplus federal bison to Tribes; protect tribal confidential cultural information; require consultation and a Department policy aligned with tribal buffalo plans; preserve treaty rights; and ends all program authority seven years after enactment.