Sponsor
Ed Case
Representative · D-HI
Representative · D-HI
The bill provides modest, targeted federal investment and coordination to help tribes develop tourism and strengthen local infrastructure and jobs, at the risk of added federal cost, unequal distribution of benefits, and potential environmental and cultural strain if safeguards and equitable access are not ensured.
Tribal governments and Native Hawaiian organizations can receive federal grants to develop and promote tourism, creating new local revenue streams and job opportunities in tribal communities.
Tribal communities and tribal-lands residents gain dedicated funding ($35 million over FY2025–2029) to support infrastructure, cultural preservation, and visitor services that improve local capacity to host visitors.
Tribal governments, federal agencies, and nonprofit partners will have stronger interagency coordination—aligning marketing, transit access, workforce training, and community health services tied to visitation.
Smaller or remote tribes and communities may be left behind if grants disproportionately favor better-resourced tribes or organizations, worsening inequities in who benefits.
Tribal-lands residents and local environments could face increased strain on infrastructure, cultural sites, and natural resources from higher visitor levels if funding and protections are insufficient.
Taxpayers bear the cost of new federal spending, which could increase the deficit or require offsets despite uncertain returns for some communities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes federal agencies to award grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations for tourism and visitor experience and authorizes $35M for FY2025–FY2029.
Official title: To amend the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act to authorize grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 2, 2025 by Ed Case · Last progress July 2, 2025
Creates a new federal grant program to support Native American and Native Hawaiian tourism by authorizing several federal agencies to make grants and enter into agreements with Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Provides a five-year authorization of $35 million (FY2025–2029) to carry out the new grant authority and renumbers an existing statutory provision to accommodate the insertion.