Congress·Passed House·H.R. 226

Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act

Returning Historic Lands to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Feb 5, 2025·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

This bill is one vehicle in a longer effort. See the full story across every version.View effort →

Next up: The SenateNo action in 17 months

The House passed this bill, but it has been sitting in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs since February 2025. Nothing has happened with the bill for 17 months, so it is currently stalled. The Senate must take action before it can move forward.

Legislative Progress

✓ House

Senate

President

Law

Likely to pass

This bill already passed the House and moved to the Senate. Land transfer bills for historic preservation often receive bipartisan backing and face few obstacles.

How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 548 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 548 (118th) →

Key Points

This bill moves about 76 acres of federal land in Monroe County, Tennessee, into a trust for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The land is currently managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority along the shores of the Tellico Reservoir.
The tribe will use the land to protect and run the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum and memorials for Chota and Tanasi, which were once Cherokee capital cities. It will also serve as a place to bury ancestral remains and teach people about the Trail of Tears.
The land can be used for classrooms, cultural programs, and temporary housing for guests. However, the law strictly forbids using any of this land for gambling or casinos.
The Tennessee Valley Authority will still have the right to flood certain parts of the land when necessary to manage the reservoir and river levels. They are also responsible for cleaning up any hazardous materials found on the property before the transfer is finished.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

3 milestones9 actions

Feb 5, 2025Senate

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Feb 4, 2025House

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Feb 4, 2025House

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H447-448)

The House fast-tracked this bill — limited debate, no amendments allowed, but needs two-thirds support to pass.

Feb 4, 2025

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H447-448)

The House fast-tracked this bill — limited debate, no amendments allowed, but needs two-thirds support to pass.

Feb 4, 2025House

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 226.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act

Bill NumberHR 226

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.