Federal tourism grants now explicitly available to tribal and Native Hawaiian organizations
S. 612 — A bill 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 Brian Schatz (D-HI) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Feb 18, 2025 · Passed chamber
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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 and enter into agreements with Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to promote Native American and Hawaiian tourism. It authorizes $35 million in spending over fiscal years 2025–2029 for these grants.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative function is to authorize federal grant-making to tribal and Native Hawaiian organizations for tourism purposes. It is a straightforward expansion of existing grant authority with a defined funding cap and timeline.
What the text implies
- The bill grants authority to six cabinet-level agencies (Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, HHS, Labor) in addition to Interior, potentially creating overlapping or uncoordinated grant programs unless interagency coordination is established separately.
- The $35 million authorization is spread across five fiscal years (2025–2029), averaging $7 million annually — modest relative to total federal tourism spending, which may limit transformative impact on individual tribal economies.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Indian tribes and tribal organizations; Native Hawaiian organizations