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S 612
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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.

S. 612 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.

Introduced Feb 18, 2025

Latest action (Dec 17, 2025) Held at the desk.

Referred to
Indian Affairs Committee
Policy area
Native Americans
Issues
Economy & Taxes
Legislative subjects (4)
Alaska Natives and HawaiiansFederal-Indian relationsIndian social and development programsTravel and tourism

Summary

The bill amends the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act by adding a new section authorizing grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations. The bill empowers the Bureau of Indian Affairs to make grants to Indian tribes and tribal organizations, the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations to make grants to Native Hawaiian organizations, and other federal agencies including the Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Labor to make grants to these organizations. The bill authorizes $35 million for these grant programs for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.

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)
1 cosponsor

Actions (10)
  1. Dec 17, 2025 Held at the desk. · house
  2. Dec 17, 2025 Received in the House. · house
  3. Dec 17, 2025 Message on Senate action sent to the House. · senate
  4. Dec 16, 2025 Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8752; text: CR S8752) · senate
  5. Dec 16, 2025 Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. May 8, 2025 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 72. · senate
  7. May 8, 2025 Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 119-20. · senate
  8. Mar 5, 2025 Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably. · senate
  9. Feb 18, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. · senate
  10. Feb 18, 2025 Introduced in Senate

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).

  • HR 4276 — 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. (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 41 — Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act (shares 3 subjects)
  • SRES 650 — A resolution recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States. (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 7148 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 4754 — Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • SRES 142 — A resolution recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States. (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 1968 — Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 1654 — CUTS Act (shares 3 subjects)

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.

  • HR 4276 — 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. · Introduced Nov 19, 2025 · Cong. 119 93%
  • S 4638 — Promoting Strong Native Families and Children Act · Introduced May 21, 2026 · Cong. 119 72%
  • HR 6343 — Parity for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Students in Agriculture Act · Introduced Jan 13, 2026 · Cong. 119 72%
  • HR 6285 — Native Arts and Culture Promotion Act · Introduced Nov 21, 2025 · Cong. 119 71%
  • S 3375 — Native Arts and Culture Promotion Act · Introduced Dec 4, 2025 · Cong. 119 69%
  • HR 5378 — Tribal Healthcare Careers Act · Introduced Sep 16, 2025 · Cong. 119 67%

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 18, 2025

Mr. Schatz (for himself and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

May 8, 2025

Reported by Ms. Murkowski, without amendment

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.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. NATIVE AMERICAN TOURISM GRANT PROGRAMS.

The Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act (25 U.S.C. 4351 et seq.) is amended—

(1) by redesignating section 6 (25 U.S.C. 4355) as section 7; and

(2) by inserting after section 5 (25 U.S.C. 4354) the following:

“SEC. 6. NATIVE AMERICAN TOURISM GRANT PROGRAMS.

“(a) Bureau of Indian Affairs Program.—The Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs may make grants to and enter into agreements with Indian tribes and tribal organizations to carry out the purposes of this Act, as described in section 2.

“(b) Office of Native Hawaiian Relations.—The Director of the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations may make grants to and enter into agreements with Native Hawaiian organizations to carry out the purposes of this Act, as described in section 2.

“(c) Other Federal Agencies.—The heads of other Federal agencies, including the Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Labor, may make grants under this authority to and enter into agreements with Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations to carry out the purposes of this Act, as described in section 2.

“(d) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $35,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.”. Calendar No. 72

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 612

[Report No. 119-20]

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.

May 8, 2025

Reported without amendment

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