Native Children’s Commission Implementation Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced
Summary
Empowers Tribal self-governance and local control over health, safety, nutrition, and housing programs. This bill would create new Tribal pilots, advisory bodies, and funding streams aimed at improving Native child and maternal health, victim services, housing, and data sovereignty.
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- Tribal governments and communities: Would expand Tribal authority to run SNAP and school meal programs through Alaska and Lower-48 pilots, strengthen self-governance compacts, and fund large initiatives including a Tiwahe Initiative authorized at $100 million per year.
- Families, children, and survivors: Would fund a 24/7 National Indian Domestic Violence Hotline, an Alaska Native Victim Services Fund authorized at $5 million per year, school meal pilots, Native language school grants, and programs to improve maternal and infant health data.
- Research, workforce, and federal coordination: Would create a NIH Tribal Health Research Office and a NIH Tribal Advisory Committee each authorized at $2 million per year, plus HRSA, SAMHSA, and other Tribal advisory committees and perinatal workforce grants to boost culturally competent providers.
*Would increase federal spending by authorizing recurring appropriations across many new programs, notably a $100 million annual Tiwahe Initiative and multiple other authorizations ranging roughly from $200,000 to $25 million per year.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
15 provisions identified: 14 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Grants and studies for maternal and infant health
If enacted, the bill would authorize Tribal Perinatal Workforce Demonstration Grants ($3 million per year for FY2027–2032) to recruit and train maternity and perinatal providers for Tribal communities. The CDC would make guidance to improve Native infant and maternal health data and must report to Congress within 180 days of enactment and annually. The bill also directs CDC and USDA to study nutrition program effects on Native children and requires HHS to study how domestic violence intersects with maternal mortality, with a report to Congress within one year.
More childcare funding for Tribes
If enacted, this would raise the Tribal set-aside under the Child Care and Development Block Grant from 2 percent to 5 percent. That means a bigger share of annual CCDBG money would be reserved for Tribes. The dollar change would depend on total CCDBG appropriations each year. Tribal child care programs could get more funding for services and subsidies for families.
More local control for school meals
If enacted, the bill would create a Tribally Operated Meal Pilot with 10 grants to let Tribes or Tribal partners run federal child nutrition programs. Grants would be negotiated between $10,000 and $100,000 per year and recipients would be reimbursed 'as if' they were States. The bill would also make children who are tribal members (or whose parent is a tribal member) categorically eligible for school meals and include Bureau-funded and reservation-area schools when computing reimbursement adjustments.
More Tribal victim and shelter support
If enacted, the bill would fund Tribal and Native Hawaiian domestic violence resource centers and create a national 24-hour hotline for American Indian and Alaska Native victims. It would authorize Tribal Domestic Violence Coalition grants and establish an Alaska Native Victim Services Fund to give grants and loans for services and related housing or facility repairs. The Denali fund is authorized at $5 million per year for FY2027–2032 and many grants could run up to 5 years.
New environmental health systems for IHS
If enacted, the Indian Health Service would build a Comprehensive Environmental Health System within two years. The system would add environmental-exposure records to electronic health records, include clinical decision tools, bi-directional data sharing, geographic tracking, and set referral and follow-up timeframes. The bill would also require environmental health training in IHS training programs and create a cross-agency Task Force to protect Native children's environmental health. The provision is authorized at $25 million per year for FY2027–2032.
Tribal behavioral health funding options
If enacted, the bill would reserve 5% of specified IHS mental health appropriations and 5% of substance use appropriations each year for direct grants to Tribes for community mental health and substance use services. It would also create a 5-year self-governance demonstration to let up to 15 Tribes run HHS behavioral health programs with funding equal to their entitlement and authorize $2 million for technical assistance. Tribes could request waivers of matching requirements.
Tribes could run SNAP pilots
If enacted, the bill would create Tribal SNAP pilots in Alaska and the Lower 48 so Tribes can run SNAP for their service populations. The Secretary would start awards within 180 days and must approve or deny Tribal plans within 90 days. Participating Tribes would be reimbursed for 100% of administrative costs and households served would not count toward State payment-error or matching calculations. The Secretary would evaluate the pilots and report to Congress within 5 years.
Easier HUD rules for Tribal housing
If enacted, this would exempt certain Tribal projects from Title VI and Title VIII rules when awards go to Tribes or tribally designated housing entities. Projects on reservation or trust land would need a certification showing consistency with an approved Indian housing plan. HUD could waive many rules for Tribal applicants, but not labor or environmental protections. Tribes acting alone on reservation land could skip a Consolidated Plan requirement.
More Tribal early childhood and language funds
If enacted, the bill would expand the Tiwahe family-centered initiative and authorize $100 million per year starting in FY2027 to fund Tribal pilots and services. It would create and fund Native American Language (NALA) school grants with an annual authorization of $10 million and set a specific per-student allotment formula. The bill also makes several Head Start and Native Hawaiian Head Start changes: longer approval terms in some cases, 5-year grant durations, facility funding flexibility, and Native Hawaiian program flexibilities. The national Native language center must report within 1 year and then every 3 years.
Tribal homelessness and housing help
If enacted, HUD would set aside $25 million per year for a Tribal Continuum of Care Participation Grant Program, but only in years when subtitle C competitive appropriations exceed FY2026 levels. The bill also creates a Native Hawaiian Homeless Housing Assistance program using up to 0.2% of Title IV McKinney-Vento funds each year and requires two years of case management. The law would define who counts as American Indian or Alaska Native for homelessness program eligibility and direct HUD and HHS to report on co-located child care in HUD housing within 18 months.
Stronger Tribal control over workforce funds
If enacted, this would strengthen Tribal control of the Section 477 initiative so Tribes can integrate certain federal job, training, and economic programs. The bill names the Federal agencies covered and limits integration to workforce, self-sufficiency, and economic purposes. Tribes could get partial approvals and only one extension per plan. Agencies could not force a Tribe to remove an approved program just because the agency issued later guidance or a new interpretation.
Clarify who counts as a Tribe
If enacted, the Act would use the definitions of 'Indian Tribe' and 'Tribal organization' from the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. This aligns which entities qualify for programs and funding under this bill. The change is effective upon enactment.
Study on missing Native children
If enacted, the Attorney General and Interior would consult with Tribes and complete a study on missing Native children and youth within one year. The study must cover juvenile justice, child welfare, abduction, trafficking, violence, and related cases and coordinate with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. A report with findings and recommendations must be submitted to Congress within 180 days after the study is finished.
New Tribal health advisory offices and committees
If enacted, NIH would create a Tribal Health Research Office and a Tribal Advisory Committee and authorize $2 million per year for committee activities. HRSA, SAMHSA, and HHS would each set up Tribal advisory committees or technical advisory bodies with authorizations around $200,000 per year. These bodies must meet regularly, report to the Secretary or agency, and improve Tribal input on programs.
More housing aid for Tribal students
If enacted, this would change McKinney-Vento transfers so the Bureau of Indian Education share could rise from 1 percent to 2 percent. Up to $250,000 of transferred money could fund nonprofit technical help for BIE and Tribal schools. Transferred funds could also be used for emergency student housing. The Secretary must protect each State's FY2024 allotment and cannot cut the reserved share below 1 percent, which may limit how much states lose.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
AK • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov