Sponsors (2)
The bill gives the Puyallup Tribe immediate access to its trust fund and eligibility for post‑1989 federal programs—expanding benefits now—while risking long‑term fund depletion and creating potential administrative burdens for federal agencies.
Puyallup Tribe members can withdraw from the tribe's trust fund under an approved management plan, allowing tribal priorities (services, programs, investments) to be funded now.
The Puyallup Tribe becomes eligible for federal programs and engagements created after 1989 on the same basis as other federally recognized tribes, expanding access to new federal benefits and funding opportunities.
Puyallup Tribe members face the risk that withdrawals could erode the trust fund's long-term principal, reducing resources available for future generations if withdrawals exceed investment earnings.
Federal agencies and employees may face increased administrative obligations because broad savings language could require agencies to extend new laws or perform rulemaking to apply post‑1989 programs to the Tribe.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows the Puyallup Tribe to withdraw amounts from its permanent trust fund under federal trust fund law with a Secretary‑approved management plan and confirms post‑1989 federal laws can apply to the Tribe like other tribes.
Introduced January 27, 2026 by Emily Randall · Last progress January 27, 2026
Allows the Puyallup Tribe to withdraw amounts from its permanent trust fund under the federal American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994, provided the withdrawals follow a management plan approved by the Secretary of the Interior. Also clarifies that nothing in the 1989 settlement statute prevents the United States from engaging with the Tribe under any federal law enacted after 1989 on the same basis as other federally recognized tribes.