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119-s-3478119th Congress

Indian Buffalo Management Act

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

Introduced

Summary

Help Tribes restore and manage buffalo and buffalo habitat on Indian land. The bill would create a federal framework in the Department of the Interior to fund, coordinate, and support Tribal buffalo restoration, conservation, and related cultural and economic activities.

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  • Tribes and Tribal organizations could receive grants, contracts, and technical assistance to restore and manage buffalo, run processing or commercial activities, and apply for surplus federal buffalo. This support aims to back subsistence, cultural uses, and potential economic development.
  • The Secretary of the Interior would coordinate government-to-government with Tribes, consult within one year, and develop a buffalo management policy aligned with Tribal-approved goals. The bill authorizes cooperative agreements and capacity building to help implement Tribal integrated resource management plans.
  • The bill would promote protection, conservation, and enhancement of buffalo populations and habitat on Indian land and let Tribes use integrated resource management plans. It would protect Tribe-designated culturally sensitive, proprietary, or confidential information.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

More Tribal support for buffalo

If enacted, the bill would direct the Department of the Interior to work government-to-government with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations on buffalo and buffalo habitat. It would promote Tribal capacity building to manage buffalo, protect and enhance Tribal-owned herds, and grow herds for subsistence, cultural use, and economic activities. The bill would encourage use of Tribal-developed integrated resource management plans and include Tribes in local, regional, national, and international decision-making forums.

Rules for who manages buffalo

If enacted, the bill would define key terms for buffalo programs. It would define 'buffalo' as the subspecies Bison bison bison and 'buffalo habitat' as Indian land managed for buffalo. It would adopt 'Indian land' by reference to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and define 'Indian Tribe' and which Tribal organizations qualify, including a requirement that Tribal organizations have demonstrable buffalo restoration experience.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]

NM • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK-2]

    OK • R

    Sponsored 12/15/2025

  • Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 2/25/2026

  • Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]

    AK • R

    Sponsored 2/25/2026

  • Sen. Armstrong, Alan [R-OK]

    OK • R

    Sponsored 7/15/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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