# 119-hr-474: Lumbee Fairness Act

119-hr-474, Lumbee Fairness Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Rouzer, David [R-NC-7] (R-NC); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-474
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-474
- Congress: 119
- Title: Lumbee Fairness Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-16
- Sponsor: Rep. Rouzer, David [R-NC-7] (R-NC)
- Cosponsors: 11
- Policy area: Native Americans
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Explicit federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina** would be established and the 1956 Lumbee Act would be rewritten to set how membership, services, land, and jurisdiction are handled. - Tribal members and households: The bill would make the Tribe and its members eligible for federal Indian services after Congress is informed of needs following verification of a tribal roll. It defines the tribal roll as the roll in effect on enactment and limits verification to documentary proof of the Tribe’s 2001 constitution membership criteria, with a two-year deadline after the Tribe submits a digitized roll. - Nearby petitioning groups: The bill would allow additional tribal groups in Robeson County and nearby areas to petition for federal acknowledgment under Part 83 of title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations despite prior limitations in the 1956 Act. - Land and legal authority: The Secretary of the Interior could take land into trust for the Tribe and treat land in Robeson County as on-reservation. North Carolina would retain authority over criminal offenses and civil actions on Indian country owned by the United States for the Tribe or its dependents, but the Secretary may accept a transfer of jurisdiction to the United States after consultation and a two-year waiting period.

## Cosponsors (11)

- Rep. Harris, Mark [R-NC-8] (R-NC), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-9] (R-NC), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4] (D-NC), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Murphy, Gregory F. [R-NC-3] (R-NC), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2] (D-NC), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1] (D-NC), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McDowell, Addison P. [R-NC-6] (R-NC), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14] (R-NC), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2] (D-CO), 2025-02-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12] (D-NC), 2025-03-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2] (R-NE), 2025-07-25T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Federal recognition for Lumbee members: benefit, high. If enacted, the Lumbee Tribe would receive federal recognition. Tribe members would become eligible for federal Indian health, housing, and education programs. Eligibility would follow the tribal roll in effect on enactment. Verification would be limited to documents that show members meet the Trib…
- Easier trust land in Robeson County: benefit, medium. If enacted, Interior could take land into trust for the Lumbee Tribe. Trust land can qualify for federal programs tied to reservation land. Any trust application in Robeson County would be treated as on-reservation.
- Path for nearby groups to seek recognition: benefit, low. If enacted, Indian groups in Robeson and nearby counties could seek federal recognition. Their members must not be on the verified Lumbee tribal roll. Petitions would follow 25 CFR Part 83 rules. This could let them seek access to federal Indian programs if recognition is later approved.
- Who handles cases on Lumbee lands: mixed, medium. If enacted, North Carolina would handle criminal and civil cases on Lumbee trust and tribal lands. Interior could accept a later transfer of some or all of that authority from the State. The Secretary would consult the U.S. Attorney General before accepting a transfer. Any transfer would start two…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-979: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4145: Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act of 2025
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-hr-879: Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-474 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/474)

## Related
- [119-hr-979: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-979)
- [119-hr-4145: Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4145)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514)
- [119-hr-879: Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-879)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-474 (as of 2026-04-21).