The bill directs modest federal funding and interagency support to spur tribal and Native Hawaiian cultural tourism and local economic development, with potential job growth, but carries risks that small or remote communities may be excluded and applicants may face added administrative burdens while taxpayers fund the program.
Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations gain new federal grant authority and dedicated funding ($35 million across FY2025–FY2029) to develop Native and cultural tourism projects and visitor experiences.
Tribal and rural communities can see job creation and small-business opportunities from tourism development and related services supported by the grants.
Multiple federal agencies coordinating grants (Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, HHS, Labor) can provide complementary support—marketing, transit access, workforce training, and health/safety resources—to increase project effectiveness and sustainability.
Smaller or remote tribal communities may struggle to meet application, matching, or reporting requirements and thus be left out of the benefits.
Competition across multiple agencies and grant programs could impose administrative burdens on tribal applicants, increasing time and cost to apply and comply.
Taxpayers face approximately $35 million in new federal spending over five years to fund the program.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes federal agencies to make grants and agreements with tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations for Native tourism/visitor-experience and authorizes $35M for FY2025–2029.
Introduced July 2, 2025 by Ed Case · Last progress July 2, 2025
Authorizes multiple federal agencies to make grants and enter into agreements with Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to carry out the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act. Gives the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations explicit grant authority, expands grant authority to the Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Labor, and authorizes $35,000,000 to be appropriated for fiscal years 2025–2029 to carry out the new grant authority.