Sponsors
The bill provides targeted funding and coordinated federal support to boost tribal tourism, jobs, and infrastructure on tribal lands, but it increases federal spending and risks unequal access to grants and environmental strain on tribal resources if protections and equitable allocation are not ensured.
Tribal governments and Native Hawaiian organizations will receive federal grants to develop and promote tourism, creating local revenue and new job opportunities in tribal communities.
Tribal lands and nearby rural communities gain dedicated infrastructure and cultural-preservation funding (approximately $35 million across FY2025–2029) to support visitor services, facilities, and preservation projects.
Indigenous communities and supporting organizations benefit from coordinated interagency support (Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, HHS, Labor) that can align federal marketing, transit access, workforce training, and community health resources related to visitation.
Tribal lands residents and natural/cultural sites could experience increased strain from higher visitor numbers—wear on infrastructure and potential degradation of cultural or natural resources—if planning and protections are inadequate.
Rural and smaller tribal communities may be disadvantaged because grants could flow preferentially to better-resourced tribes or organizations, worsening equity among tribes.
U.S. taxpayers may bear modest additional federal spending and potential deficit effects because the bill creates new grant programs without identified offsets.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes federal agencies to award grants to tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations for Native American tourism and authorizes $35M for FY2025–2029.
Establishes new federal grant authority to support Native American tourism by letting the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations, and several Cabinet agencies award grants and enter into agreements with Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Authorizes $35 million total to be appropriated for that grant program across fiscal years 2025–2029 and renames an existing provision to accommodate the new authority. The grants are intended to help carry out the purposes of the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act, enabling tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to get federal support for tourism-related activities; actual funding still requires annual appropriation action by Congress.
Introduced July 2, 2025 by Ed Case · Last progress July 2, 2025