Congress quietly swaps federal land for private holdings in tribal bill

What it does

This bill transfers approximately 4,660 acres of mineral rights located within the Crow Reservation from the Hope Family Trust to the Crow Tribe of Montana, to be held in federal trust. In exchange, the federal government conveys approximately 4,530 acres of federal mineral interests in the Bull Mountains (outside the reservation) to the Hope Family Trust. The bill also facilitates a surface-land swap: Musselshell Resources LLC transfers about 959 acres of surface land to the federal government, and receives approximately 940 acres of federal surface land in return. The Crow Tribe gains tax-exempt mineral interests and must negotiate a revenue-sharing agreement with the Hope Family Trust for any future development.

Why we flagged it

The bill's primary stated purpose is transferring mineral rights to the Crow Tribe for trust status, but the operative mechanism includes two private land exchanges (Hope Family Trust and Musselshell Resources LLC) that are substantively unrelated to tribal benefit and appear to be the bill's true functional core.

• Hope Family Trust conveys 4,660 acres of private mineral interests; federal government conveys 4,530 acres of federal mineral interests in Bull Mountains in return. No public benefit articulated.
• Musselshell Resources LLC conveys 959 acres of private surface land; federal government conveys 940 acres of federal surface land in return. Framed as 'unlocking public access' but is a private swap.

What the text implies

• The bill does not disclose the valuation methodology or comparative market value of the lands being exchanged. Federal mineral and surface interests may be worth significantly more or less than the private holdings, creating potential for hidden subsidy or loss to the public.
• The Hope Family Trust's revenue-sharing agreement with the Crow Tribe is negotiated privately and must be notified to the Secretary, but the bill contains no transparency requirement, audit mechanism, or public disclosure of the terms.
• The Bull Mountains Lease (MTM–97988) can be relinquished by the Lessee without penalty, transferring federal mineral interests to the Hope Family Trust. If the lease is valuable, this may represent a hidden transfer of public asset value.
• The bill's 60-day timeline for all conveyances in 'a single transaction' may prevent meaningful public comment, environmental review, or valuation scrutiny of the land exchanges.
• Musselshell Resources LLC's surface-land conveyance is framed as 'unlocking public access,' but the bill does not specify public access rights, management obligations, or restrictions on future use of the federal land Musselshell receives.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The Crow Tribe gains valuable mineral assets held in trust and exempt from state taxation, strengthening tribal sovereignty and revenue potential. However, the bill's core mechanism is a private land swap that benefits the Hope Family Trust and Musselshell Resources LLC by exchanging their private holdings for federal land of comparable or greater value, with no clear public benefit beyond the tribal transfer and no transparency regarding the valuation or terms of the private exchanges.

Who stands to gain

• Hope Family Trust (receives 4,530 acres of federal mineral interests in Bull Mountains)
• Musselshell Resources LLC (receives 940 acres of federal surface interests in Bull Mountains)
• Crow Tribe of Montana (receives 4,660 acres of mineral interests in trust, tax-exempt)

Named in the bill

Crow Tribe of Montana, Hope Family Trust (Joe and Barbara Hope Mineral Trust), Musselshell Resources LLC, U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, State of Montana, Musselshell County, Montana, Big Horn County, Montana, Bull Mountains Lease (MTM–97988)

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.

• Jan 24, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 24, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”
• Jun 25, 2025 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Jun 25, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 27 - 16”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 4 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $120,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 4 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Troy Downing, the sponsor, reported $762,100 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Crow Tribe of Indians — $60,000 on 2 filings
• Global Mining Holding Company, LLC — $60,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 16, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.