HR 741 Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.
Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025
Summary
- Elevates the position of Director of the Indian Health Service to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health within the Department of Health and Human Services.
- The Assistant Secretary will report directly to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
- Allows the Assistant Secretary to appoint a Deputy Assistant Secretary with Secretary approval.
- Updates the federal pay scale by increasing the number of Assistant Secretary positions at HHS from 6 to 7.
- Designates all references to the Director of the Indian Health Service in federal law and regulations to refer to the new Assistant Secretary position.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
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![Rep. Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/S001211.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Stanton, Greg (D-AZ) [#4]
3 cosponsors
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![Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/F000466.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. (R-PA) [#1] -
![Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/J000295.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Joyce, David P. (R-OH) [#14] -
![Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/L000397.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Lofgren, Zoe (D-CA) [#18]
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Greg Stanton’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- Employer not reported $35,651
- EB-5 NEW YORK STATE LLC $13,200
- SNELL & WILMER $8,700
- CRESCENT CROWN DISTRIBUTING $8,100
- ASU $7,845
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Greg Stanton → · Outside spending →
Actions (18)
- Sep 15, 2026 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. · senate
- Sep 14, 2026 The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection. · house
- Sep 14, 2026 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
- Sep 14, 2026 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5568) · house
- Sep 14, 2026 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5568)
- Sep 14, 2026 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 741. · house
- Sep 14, 2026 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5568-5570) · house
- Sep 14, 2026 Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. · house
- Aug 27, 2026 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 668. · house
- Aug 27, 2026 Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged. · house
- Aug 27, 2026 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-767, Part I. · house
- May 14, 2026 Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent. · house
- May 14, 2026 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
- May 14, 2026 Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs Discharged · house
- Feb 5, 2025 Subcommittee Hearings Held · house
- Jan 29, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs. · house
- Jan 28, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- Jan 28, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (4)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Committee action
What happened to this bill in committee — the meetings where it was considered and every recorded vote taken on it.
Meetings where this bill was on the agenda
- Markup of: • H.R. 741 (Rep. Stanton), “Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025” • H.R. 3924 (Rep. Neguse), “Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act” • H.R. 5694 (Rep. Begich), “Alaska’s Right To Ivory Sales and Tradition Act” or the “ARTIST Act” • H.R. 7250 (Rep. Downing), To reauthorize the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000. • H.R. 7487 (Rep. Boebert), “Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act” • H.R. 7831 (Rep. Kennedy of UT), “License to Drill Act”
- Legislative Hearing on: H.R. 410 (Rep. Begich), “Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 2025”; H.R. 412 (Rep. Bergman), To authorize the Bay Mills Indian Community of the State of Michigan to convey land and interests in land owned by the Tribe; H.R. 504 (Rep. Gimenez), “Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act”; and H.R. 741 (Rep. Stanton), “Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025”.
Full text
AN ACT
To redesignate the position of Director of the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services as Assistant Secretary for Indian Health, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INDIAN HEALTH.
(a) Establishment.—Section 601(a) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “tribes” and inserting “Tribes”;
(2) in paragraph (2)—
(A) by striking “a Director” and inserting “an Assistant Secretary for Indian Health (in this section referred to as the ‘Assistant Secretary’)”;
(B) by striking “The Director shall report” and inserting “The Assistant Secretary shall report directly”;
(C) by striking “the Director” and inserting “the Assistant Secretary”; and
(D) by striking “A Director” and inserting “An Assistant Secretary”;
(3) in paragraph (3), by striking “date of enactment of the Indian Health Care Improvement Reauthorization and Extension Act of 2009 shall serve as Director” and inserting “date of enactment of the Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025 shall serve as Assistant Secretary”;
(4) in paragraph (4), in the matter before subparagraph
(A), by striking “Director” and inserting “Assistant Secretary”; and
(5) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(5) Deputy assistant secretary.—The Assistant Secretary may—
“(A) with the approval of the Secretary, appoint a Deputy Assistant Secretary; and
“(B) consistent with applicable law, utilize officers and employees of the Department as necessary to administer the activities of the Service.”.
(b) Duties.—Section 601(c) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(c)) is amended—
(1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by striking “Director” and inserting “Assistant Secretary”; and
(2) in paragraph (1), by striking “date of enactment of the Indian Health Care Improvement Reauthorization and Extension Act of 2009” and inserting “date of enactment of the Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025”.
(c) Authority.—Section 601(d)(1) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(d)(1)) is amended in the matter before subparagraph (A), by striking “Director” and inserting “Assistant Secretary”.
(d) References.—Section 601 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(e) References.—Any reference to the Director of the Indian Health Service in any Federal law, Executive order, rule, regulation, or delegation of authority, or in any document of or relating to the Director of the Indian Health Service, shall be deemed to refer to the Assistant Secretary.”.
(e) Rate of Basic Pay.—
(1) Positions at level iv.—Section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking “Assistant Secretaries of Health and Human Services (6)” and inserting “Assistant Secretaries of Health and Human Services (7)”.
(2) Positions at level v.—Section 5316 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking “Director, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services.”.
Passed the House of Representatives September 14, 2026.
Attest:
Clerk. 119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 741
AN ACT
To redesignate the position of Director of the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services as Assistant Secretary for Indian Health, and for other purposes.
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