Last progress June 25, 2025 (5 months ago)
Introduced on June 25, 2025 by Gary C. Peters
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
This bill confirms that the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians in west Michigan are a federally recognized tribe. It makes tribe members eligible for all federal services and benefits for Native people, even if they don’t live on a reservation. The service area for delivering those benefits is Newaygo, Oceana, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa Counties. The bill says it does not take away any rights the Tribe or its members already had. It also reflects the Tribe’s long history in the region and links to past treaties and federal actions affecting the Tribe .
The Tribe must submit an official membership list within 18 months. The U.S. Department of the Interior can take certain lands into trust for the Tribe in Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana Counties, and may also take land into trust in Kent and Ottawa Counties. Any land taken into trust can be treated as part of the Tribe’s reservation, and the Department must decide on a trust request within 18 months. These steps are meant to support the Tribe’s homeland and access to programs and services .
Key points
| Who is affected | What changes | When |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians; communities in Newaygo, Oceana, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa Counties | Federal recognition is affirmed; members are eligible for federal services; a membership roll is required; certain lands can be placed into trust and treated as reservation | Upon enactment; membership roll due within 18 months; land-into-trust decisions due within 18 months of request |