Urging the Trump-Vance administration and Office of Management and Budget to uphold the Reagan administration policy of government-to-government relations with tribal nations.
Summary
HCR6011 is a concurrent resolution urging the Trump-Vance administration and the federal Office of Management and Budget to preserve and apply a government-to-government relationship with federally recognized tribal nations, consistent with the Reagan-era Indian policy cited in the resolution. The measure frames tribal-federal relations as grounded in treaties, constitutional supremacy, and the federal trust responsibility, and it asks federal officials to treat funding for tribal governments and tribal-serving entities as a treaty-based priority when reviewing federal programs.
The resolution emphasizes that federal obligations to tribes include support for public safety, healthcare, child protection, housing, education, agriculture, waste management, and economic development. It specifically points to reported shortfalls in Indian Country public safety funding and to disruptions in federal assistance following a January 2025 OMB memorandum, arguing that pauses or cuts in tribal funding could force service reductions and create long-term costs. The resolution also directs that copies be sent to the President, OMB, and South Dakota’s congressional delegation.
Impact
HCR6011 does not change South Dakota statutes or create new state regulatory requirements; instead, it expresses the Legislature’s position on federal Indian policy and federal appropriations. Its practical effect is political and advocacy-oriented, seeking to influence federal budget review and administrative treatment of programs serving tribal nations by urging deference to treaty obligations and the government-to-government framework.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received very positively and passed unanimously at each recorded stage. The House committee vote, House floor adoption, Senate committee vote, and Senate concurrence all show zero opposition, indicating broad bipartisan support for the resolution’s core message of honoring tribal sovereignty and federal treaty commitments.
Contention
There is little evidence of formal contention in the recorded votes, since no member voted against the resolution. The resolution itself, however, contains sharper political language that criticizes federal funding pauses and rejects framing tribal aid as tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion or other ideological initiatives. The main substantive concern raised by the text is the risk that federal review or suspension of tribal funding could disrupt essential services in tribal communities, while the resolution’s supporters emphasize treaty obligations, sovereignty, and continuity of federal trust responsibilities.