PRIA Logo™
119-s-3219119th CongressWALLET

Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]

Passed Senate

Summary

Transfers roughly 9.9 acres of former Albuquerque Indian School land into trust for the 19 named Pueblos. It defines who benefits, how the land and buildings can be used, and bars class II and III gaming on the trust land.

Show full summary
  • Gives the 19 Pueblos clear trust title to three federal tracts totaling about 9.9 acres for education, health, cultural, business, and economic development. The land is governed by federal laws that apply to Indian trust land.
  • Conveys ownership of buildings and improvements in fee simple to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The Center must allow current federal tenants to stay on Tract 2 under a lease with an initial term of up to 24 months and possible extensions by agreement.
  • Preserves existing private and municipal encumbrances, rights of way, easements, and utility agreements. The Administrator of General Services must transfer jurisdiction within 90 days after enactment and the Secretary must take the land into trust and record survey and transfer documents, with limited authority to fix clerical or surveying errors.

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

4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Survey, title records, and definitions

The bill would define key terms, including the 19 Pueblos (listed by name), the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, the Secretary of the Interior, and the controlling May 2023 survey. For the trust land, the Secretary would obtain a land survey and copies of all encumbrances from GSA. The Secretary would be limited to minor corrections for clerical, typographical, or surveying errors. The survey and transfer papers would be recorded with the Bernalillo County Clerk and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Land Titles and Records Office.

Transfer Albuquerque land to 19 Pueblos

This bill would require the General Services Administration to transfer three federal tracts to the Interior Secretary within 90 days after enactment. Within 90 days after that, the Secretary would take the land into trust for the 19 Pueblos. The tracts are about 3.57, 5.78, and 0.54 acres (about 9.89 acres total). The land is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as shown on a May 2023 survey.

Buildings go to Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

Within 90 days after the jurisdiction transfer, the Secretary would give ownership of all buildings and improvements on the land to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The Center would own those in fee. The government would enter into a lease so Federal tenants on Tract 2 as of that date could stay for up to 24 months. The parties could extend the lease by written agreement. A Federal tenant could end its lease early by giving notice under the lease.

Use rules and no gaming on land

If enacted, the trust land would be used for education, health, cultural, business, and economic development for the 19 Pueblos. The land would be subject to federal laws for Indian trust land. Any private or city easements, rights-of-way, restrictions, or utility service agreements in place on enactment would stay. The land would not be used for Class II or Class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]

NM • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]

    NM • D

    Sponsored 11/19/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation