Congress expands Native American tourism grants across six federal agencies
H.R. 4276 — 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. · Filed by Ed Case (D-HI) · Introduced Jul 2, 2025 · Hearing held
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What it does
This bill amends the Native American Tourism Act to explicitly authorize the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations, and other federal agencies (Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Labor) to award grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to promote Native American and Hawaiian tourism. It authorizes $35 million over five fiscal years (2025–2029) for these grants.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to authorize federal agencies to award grants to tribal and Native Hawaiian organizations for tourism promotion. It is a straightforward appropriations authorization with no hidden riders or narrow carve-outs.
What the text implies
- Grants are discretionary ('may make'), not mandatory — actual funding depends on agency prioritization and appropriations; tribes and organizations have no entitlement.
- Multiple agencies (Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, HHS, Labor) can award grants under the same authority, potentially creating overlapping or fragmented grant programs without coordination mechanism.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Indian tribes and tribal organizations; Native Hawaiian organizations