Congress funds Tribal buffalo restoration, restoring sovereignty over sacred resource

What it does

This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to work with federally recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to restore buffalo populations on tribal lands for cultural, spiritual, subsistence, and economic purposes. It directs the Secretary to enter into contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements to fund buffalo restoration programs, provide technical assistance, and transfer surplus federal buffalo to tribal lands, while protecting tribal confidential information and preserving existing treaty rights.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is empowering Tribal governments to manage buffalo restoration and economic development on their own lands through federal funding and technical support, consistent with the Indian Self-Determination Act framework. It is fundamentally about restoring Tribal agency and sovereignty over a culturally significant resource.

What the text implies

• The bill's 7-year sunset clause means Tribal buffalo programs funded under this authority will lose federal support unless Congress reauthorizes, creating potential instability for long-term restoration efforts and Tribal economic planning.
• The waiver of charges for federal surplus buffalo may create an implicit expectation that Tribes will absorb all downstream costs (transport, veterinary care, habitat management), shifting financial burden despite the stated intent to support Tribal capacity.
• Section 6's protection of culturally sensitive information from federal disclosure may limit transparency in how federal funds are used, though this is a legitimate Tribal sovereignty interest.

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

Who it affects

The bill restores agency and self-determination to Tribal governments over a culturally and historically significant resource, funds capacity-building and economic development on tribal lands, and imposes no restrictions on ordinary citizens. The primary beneficiaries are Tribal members and Tribal governments, who gain resources and decision-making authority over buffalo management.

Who stands to gain

• Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations
• Tribal members (subsistence and economic development)
• Meat processing equipment suppliers (mobile facilities)
• Veterinary and technical service providers to Tribes

Named in the bill

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

Where it stands

4 cosponsors: 3 Republicans, 1 Democrats.

• Dec 15, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Dec 15, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Indian Affairs · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs”

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 2 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $1,120,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 46 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.

Martin Heinrich, the sponsor, reported $455,777 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Nature Conservancy — $900,000 on 1 filing
• World Wildlife Fund, Inc. — $220,000 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.