Quapaw Tribal Settlement Act of 2025

This bill settles certain claims between the federal government and the Quapaw Nation (a tribe in Oklahoma) and some tribal members. It creates the Quapaw Bear Settlement Trust Account, run by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, and directs a one-time $137.5 million payment into it. The money must be paid out to the tribe and eligible members as recommended by a 2020 review panel of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

How the money is shared follows a set timeline. Within 45 days after the law takes effect, the tribe and eligible members must try to agree on a distribution plan through a neutral mediator. If they cannot agree—or if no plan is in place within 18 months—the Secretary of the Interior will run a hearing process and issue a final plan. Once the final plan is set, the Secretary must distribute the funds within 60 days.

• Who is affected: The Quapaw Nation and certain individual members of the tribe.
• What changes: A new trust account is created and managed by Interior; a single $137.5 million payment is made; funds are paid out based on the 2020 court recommendation, using mediation first and a Secretary-issued plan if needed.
• When: Mediation starts within 45 days of enactment; if no agreement within 18 months, the Secretary steps in; funds are distributed within 60 days after the final plan.