Congress·In Progress·H.R. 741

Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025

Indian Health Service: Leadership Promotion

May 14·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committee

The House Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Energy and Commerce must take further action on this bill following a committee vote in May 2026. The proposal has not moved since May 14, 2026. It remains in the early stages of the legislative process.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Likely to pass

The bill has bipartisan support and has successfully moved through the committee process, which shows it has momentum in the House.

Key Points

This bill changes the top job at the Indian Health Service from a Director to an Assistant Secretary. This means the person in charge of healthcare for Native American tribes will report directly to the head of the Department of Health and Human Services instead of being lower down in the chain of command.
By giving this leader a higher rank, the bill aims to give tribal health issues more attention and power within the federal government. It is designed to ensure that the health needs of Indigenous communities are heard and prioritized at the highest levels of decision making.
The new Assistant Secretary would be allowed to hire a deputy to help manage the agency and its employees. The bill also updates federal laws and pay scales to reflect this new title and the higher level of responsibility for the position.

Impact Analysis

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

Milestones

5 milestones7 actions

May 14, 2026House

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.

May 14, 2026House

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

May 14, 2026House

Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs Discharged

Feb 5, 2025House

Subcommittee Hearings Held

Jan 29, 2025House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs.

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

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

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025

Bill NumberHR 741

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionOrdered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(3)

D: 1R: 2

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.