S. 3383, the Unlocking Native Lands and Opportunities for Commerce and Key Economic Developments Act of 2025, passed the Senate on September 29, 2026.
S. 3383 — Unlocking Native Lands and Opportunities for Commerce and K…
What it does
This bill amends two 1950s-era federal laws governing leases and rights-of-way on tribal lands. It expands which tribes can lease trust lands, removes federal lease-term caps, and crucially allows tribes to grant rights-of-way (for roads, pipelines, utilities, etc.) across their own land without federal approval—provided the tribe adopts a Secretary-approved environmental review process. The federal government retains oversight of tribal regulations and can enforce or cancel rights-of-way if tribes violate their own rules, but tribes gain direct control over development on their lands.
Quorum's transparency scan gave Unlocking Native Lands and Opportunities for Commerce and Key Economic Developments Act of 2025 a moderate transparency flag.
What happens next
S. 3383 passed the Senate. It now moves to the other chamber.
Who is behind it
Filed by Brian Schatz. Cosponsored by Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis.
The week in bills
One email, Sunday: what Congress passed, what it changed, and who paid.
One link arrives to confirm the address. It is used for this email and nothing else, and every issue carries an unsubscribe link.