Sponsors (2)
The bill grants statutory federal recognition, land-into-trust status, and program access that strengthen tribal self-government and benefits for the named Tribe, while locking in membership/governance terms, restricting some tribal economic options (notably gaming), and creating potential jurisdictional, fiscal, and administrative trade-offs for tribes, local communities, and governments.
Members of the named Tribe gain federal recognition and statutory status, making them eligible for federal services, benefits, and a clear basis for engagement with federal agencies.
Tribal members and residents in the designated service area can access federal funding and programs (healthcare, education, housing, and other Indian programs), potentially improving services and economic supports for the community.
The bill establishes authoritative membership rolls and recognized governing documents/leadership as of enactment, reducing immediate disputes about who is an enrolled member and who may act for the Tribe.
Individuals who would be added after the statutory cutoff or who do not meet the Act's membership criteria may be excluded from recognition and benefits, and the Act creates a federal role in membership determinations that can limit tribal control over its own roll.
The bill may create jurisdictional overlap and legal conflicts—between federal Indian statutes applied to the Tribe, existing state/local programs, and private landholders—raising the risk of litigation and implementation disputes.
Prohibiting gaming on the affected land bars the Tribe from developing tribal gaming enterprises, denying potential revenue, jobs, and local economic activity that casino operations could have generated.
Based on analysis of 18 sections of legislative text.
Grants federal recognition to the Nottoway Tribe, fixes membership/governance records, allows certain Tribe lands to be taken into trust, preserves rights, and bans tribal gaming.
Introduced September 11, 2025 by Jennifer McClellan · Last progress September 11, 2025
Grants federal recognition to the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, making the Tribe and its members eligible for federal programs and services available to federally recognized tribes. It fixes the Tribe’s membership roll and governing documents as the versions submitted before enactment, recognizes the Tribe’s governing body, allows specified Tribe-owned fee lands (acquired on or before Jan 1, 2022) to be taken into trust at the Tribe’s request (and permits discretionary trust for other lands with a 3-year decision deadline), preserves existing Indian Child Welfare Act agreements and tribal hunting/fishing rights, and explicitly bars the Tribe from conducting gaming under federal law including the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.