Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson’s H.R. 812, the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act, passed by voice vote in the House of Representatives. The bill would modernize the federal government’s role in managing Indian trust property by allowing tribes to manage their own assets through negotiated demonstration projects with the Department of Interior.

“This legislation is a step forward for tribes in how they manage their assets,” said Simpson. “Instead of the complicated and inconsistent bureaucratic process tribes currently go through, H.R. 812 aims to streamline this practice to provide tribes with the necessary tools to promote economic development.”

H.R. 812 is just one aspect in a larger conversation about how tribes can improve the management of their assets and reflects the values of many Pacific Northwest tribes who were consulted in crafting the legislation. The bill also has the support of the National Congress of American Indians, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and a bipartisan list of cosponsors.

“I am thankful to the tribes who lent their expertise to H.R. 812, as well as to the Natural Resources Committee who held several hearings on my bill. I am pleased the House could act in a bipartisan fashion to pass a bill that helps Indian country and promotes economic growth.”

The Congressional Budget Office found that H.R. 812 would not affect the federal government’s overall costs.