Congress gives Miami Tribe one year to sue over 1805 treaty land—or lose all claims forever

What it does

This bill gives the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma a one-year window to sue the U.S. government in federal court over land in Illinois promised under an 1805 treaty, bypassing the normal statute of limitations. In exchange, the tribe waives all other current and future land claims in Illinois forever.

Why we flagged it

The bill creates a limited, time-bound legal remedy for a specific tribal land claim while simultaneously extinguishing all other tribal claims in a state. It is a settlement mechanism, not a general appropriation or regulatory change.

What the text implies

• The one-year filing deadline is a hard cutoff; if the Miami Tribe does not file within 12 months, the jurisdiction expires and the tribe loses the right to sue on the 1805 treaty claim entirely.
• The extinguishment clause is permanent and applies to 'any and all future claims' — the tribe cannot revisit Illinois land disputes after this bill, even if new evidence or legal theories emerge.
• The bill does not specify what remedy the Court of Federal Claims may award (land return, monetary damages, or other relief), leaving the scope of potential recovery undefined.
• Illinois landowners and the federal government gain certainty that no further tribal claims will be brought, but the tribe's settlement leverage is constrained by the all-or-nothing structure.

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

Who it affects

Illinois residents and the federal government gain finality and closure on a long-standing dispute, reducing future litigation risk and uncertainty. However, the Miami Tribe is forced to choose between a single claim and all others, potentially leaving legitimate grievances unresolved and ceding land or compensation rights permanently.

Named in the bill

Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, United States Court of Federal Claims, State of Illinois, Treaty of Grouseland (1805), 28 U.S.C. § 2501

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.

• Feb 12, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Feb 12, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Indian Affairs · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs”
• Mar 5, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably”
• Dec 15, 2025 — Passed the Senate · Congress.gov: “Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8747; text: CR S8747)”
• Sep 14, 2026 — Passed both chambers · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote”
• Sep 14, 2026 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill”
• Sep 22, 2026 — Sent to president · Congress.gov: “Presented to President”
• Sep 25, 2026 — Signed into law · Congress.gov: “Signed by President”

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 6 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $310,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 11 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.

Markwayne Mullin, the sponsor, reported $979,756 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Boyd Gaming Corporation — $120,000 on 2 filings
• Boyd Gaming Corporation — $120,000 on 2 filings
• Ho-chunk Nation Legislature — $70,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 19, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.