PRIA Logo™
119-s-1301119th CongressWALLET

Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Moran, Jerry [R-KS]

Introduced

Summary

This bill changes whether and how Indian Tribes and tribal enterprises on Indian lands are treated as employers under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Some language in the sources describes removing tribes and tribal enterprises on tribal land from NLRA employer requirements. Other language describes amending Section 2 of the NLRA to add tribes and tribal enterprises on Indian lands to the statute's employer definition and to add definitions for "Indian Tribe", "Indian", and "Indian lands" that apply to the NLRA employer construct.

Show full summary
  • Tribal governments and tribal enterprises: The text either removes them from NLRA employer obligations or explicitly makes them employers under the NLRA, changing which federal labor rules apply on tribal lands.
  • Tribal workers: If tribes are treated as employers, employees on tribal lands would be covered by NLRA protections such as unionization and collective bargaining; if tribes are excluded, those federal protections would not apply on tribal lands.
  • Labor organizations and employers off tribal lands: The added definitions for "Indian Tribe", "Indian", and "Indian lands" would determine where NLRA coverage reaches and could shift organizing and bargaining efforts on or off reservations.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Union rights for tribal workers

If enacted, workers for tribal governments and tribal businesses on Indian lands would get federal labor law protections. You could join a union, bargain over pay and hours, and be protected from unfair labor practices. The rule would apply only if the employer is owned and run by a Tribe and located on that Tribe’s Indian lands. Indian lands would include reservations, lands held in trust or restricted, and some former reservations in Oklahoma. Tribes and their enterprises on those lands would be treated as employers under federal labor law.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Moran, Jerry [R-KS]

KS • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]

    MT • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]

    ID • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND]

    ND • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND]

    ND • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]

    SD • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]

    ID • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]

    OK • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

  • Rep. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK-2]

    OK • R

    Sponsored 4/3/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation