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.
Summary
HB4276 amends the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act (the NATIVE Act) to create an explicit federal grant authority for Native American tourism programs. The bill would allow the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs to award grants and enter into agreements with Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and would allow the Director of the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations to do the same for Native Hawaiian organizations. It also authorizes other federal agencies, including the Departments of Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Labor, to provide grants and agreements under the same authority.
The stated purpose of the grants is to carry out the tourism and visitor-experience goals already described in the underlying NATIVE Act. The bill includes an authorization of appropriations of $35 million for fiscal years 2025 through 2029, indicating that Congress would be setting aside a dedicated funding stream for tribal and Native Hawaiian tourism-related initiatives if appropriations are later enacted.
Impact
The bill would amend federal law at 25 U.S.C. 4351 et seq. by adding a new section establishing Native American tourism grant programs and by redesignating the current section 6 as section 7. In practical terms, it expands the tools available to federal agencies to support tourism development, visitor services, and related economic activities in Indian Country and among Native Hawaiian organizations. It would not itself appropriate money, but it would authorize future appropriations and create a statutory basis for grantmaking across multiple agencies.
Sentiment
The available record shows no recorded votes and no committee transcript excerpts, so there is no detailed public debate to assess. Based on the bill text and its referral to subcommittee hearings, the measure appears to be framed as a supportive economic-development and cultural-tourism initiative for tribal and Native Hawaiian communities. The overall sentiment inferred from the bill’s structure is favorable toward expanding federal assistance for tourism promotion and related infrastructure.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of debate, however, could include the scope of federal agency involvement, how grant funds would be allocated among tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, and whether the $35 million authorization is sufficient or should be larger. Another possible issue is administrative overlap, since multiple agencies would be permitted to make grants under the same authority, which could raise questions about coordination and program oversight.
Same As
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.
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.
Recognizing National Native American Heritage Month and celebrating the heritages and cultures of Native Americans and the contributions of Native Americans to the United States.
A resolution recognizing National Native American Heritage Month and celebrating the heritages and cultures of Native Americans and the contributions of Native Americans to the United States.