Bill > HR2929

This bill officially recognizes the Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe of North Carolina and extends full federal government-to-government relations to the tribe. The bill provides historical context about the tribe, noting its origins from confederated Native American nations in the Piedmont and coastal regions of Virginia and North Carolina, and detailing its continuous existence as a distinct community since the American Revolution. It defines key terms and establishes that the tribe and its members will be eligible for all federal services and benefits typically provided to federally recognized Indian tribes, regardless of whether they have a formal reservation. The bill specifically authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for the tribe and create a reservation, and defines the tribe's service area as including Halifax, Warren, Nash, Franklin, Vance, and Granville counties in North Carolina. The legislation also recognizes the tribe's long-standing interactions with state and federal governments, including receiving federal education and housing funding for over 50 and 25 years respectively, and establishes that the tribe's current membership roll and governing documents will be used for determining service population and tribal membership.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2929/all-info