- Details
- By Chez Oxendine
- Policy and Law
A bipartisan bill to speed up mortgage approvals on tribal trust land cleared the House Natural Resources Committee this week, positioning the measure for a vote on the House floor and, with the Senate’s companion already passed, potentially President Donald Trump’s desk.
Rep. Dusty Johnson, (R‑S.D.) is leading the House version (H.R. 2130) of the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act, which would impose statutory deadlines on the Bureau of Indian Affairs for reviewing and approving mortgages, business leases and right‑of‑way applications involving tribal trust land. The bill is a counterpart to a bill (S. 723) introduced by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., in February last year.
Tribes, lenders and housing organizations have long said the BIA’s realty review process is unpredictable and slow, delaying construction and complicating participation in federal housing programs, per prior Tribal Business News reporting.
“Homeownership is the bedrock of the American Dream but has become out of reach for many individuals and families,” Johnson said in a statement. “The Bureau of Indian Affairs is only creating more obstacles to reach that goal. My bill cuts through layers of bureaucracy and delays to make homeownership more accessible on tribal trust land.”
The bill would require BIA to acknowledge receipt of mortgage documents, complete a preliminary review within 10 days and issue an approval or denial within 20 to 30 days, depending on the application type. It also directs the agency to notify lenders when documents are received and to improve communication with tribes, tribal members and lenders through a new realty ombudsman.
The measure aligns with broader efforts by tribal housing groups — including the National American Indian Housing Council and the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition — to modernize BIA mortgage procedures and reduce bottlenecks that slow development, according to Johnson.
In the same session, the House Natural Resources Committee also advanced H.R. 3073, or the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Jurisdictional Clarity Act. The act places jurisdiction for civil cases on the tribe’s reservation with the State of Utah and amends the Long Term Leasing Act to allow the tribe to lease trust lands for up to 99 years.
