Congress restores tribal authority over buffalo restoration on Native lands

What it does

This bill directs the Department of Interior to work with Native American tribes and tribal organizations to restore buffalo populations on tribal lands for cultural, spiritual, subsistence, and economic purposes. It authorizes the federal government to enter contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements with tribes to fund buffalo management programs, provide technical assistance, and transfer surplus buffalo from federal lands to tribal lands at no charge.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is empowering Native American tribes to manage buffalo restoration on their own lands with federal support and resources. It is fundamentally about tribal sovereignty and cultural recovery, not a market-driven or narrow private benefit.

What the text implies

• Sunset clause (7 years) means tribes must demonstrate success and secure reauthorization or lose federal support for ongoing buffalo management programs.
• Section 6 protects tribal cultural and proprietary information from federal disclosure, establishing a privacy boundary that respects tribal sovereignty over sensitive knowledge.
• Section 7 allows tribes to receive surplus federal buffalo at no charge, effectively transferring federal wildlife assets to tribal stewardship without cost.
• Bill does not override state or federal disease-control laws, meaning tribes must comply with federal/state wildlife disease protocols even on tribal land, potentially limiting full tribal autonomy.

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

Who it affects

The bill restores agency and resources to Native American tribes to manage buffalo restoration on their own lands, addressing a historical dispossession and supporting tribal self-determination, cultural continuity, and economic development. The primary beneficiaries are tribal members whose ancestors relied on buffalo and whose communities have sought restoration for generations.

Who stands to gain

• Native American tribes and tribal organizations
• Tribal members (subsistence, cultural, and economic benefit)

Named in the bill

Department of Interior, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Secretary of Interior, Indian Reorganization Act, Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act, Energy Policy Act of 1992

Where it stands

15 cosponsors: 8 Republicans, 7 Democrats.

• Mar 17, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Mar 17, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources”
• May 21, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Hearings Held”
• Sep 15, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Sep 15, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent”

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

Money around this bill

3 lobbying clients named this bill on 3 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $1,160,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 30 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 61% of bills with at least one filing.

Jeff Hurd, the sponsor, reported $624,454 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Nature Conservancy — $900,000 on 1 filing
• World Wildlife Fund, Inc. — $220,000 on 1 filing
• Old Harbor Native Corporation — $40,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.