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Policy Watchtower/Legislation

Senate committee clears bill for 99-year leases on Mashpee and Aquinnah land

Interior DepartmentLegislationSep 14, 2026

Check: The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs ordered H.R. 681 reported without amendment, which would let the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) lease trust land for up to 99 years with Interior approval.

Read the original

What it does

The bill affects the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and their trust land, which is land the federal government holds for a tribe. Under the Long-Term Leasing Act (LTLA, the 1955 law that governs leases of tribal trust land), leases are currently capped at 25 years with one 25-year renewal; the bill would allow terms up to 99 years. The committee recommends that the Senate pass the bill, and it has already passed the House by voice vote.

Why it matters for tribal funding

Directly tribal. The document is about tribes, tribal programs or Native organizations specifically.

Who it covers: Tribal governments.

What to do next

  1. Track Senate floor action on H.R. 681, since the committee recommends passage without amendment.
  2. Tribal offices with Massachusetts trust-land leasing or development plans should review how a 99-year term would change their project financing and lease terms if the bill is enacted.

Sources

Every signal is built from public records. The highlighted words appear in the source exactly as shown.

  • Congress.gov: appropriations committee reportscommittee_reportSep 14, 2026

    A BILL TO AMEND THE ACT OF AUGUST 9, 1955 (COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE "LONG-TERM LEASING ACT"), TO AUTHORIZE LEASES OF UP TO 99 YEARS FOR LAND IN THE MASHPEE WAMPANOAG TRIBE RESERVATION AND LAND HELD IN TRUST FOR THE WAMPANOAG TRIBE OF GAY HEAD (AQUINNAH), AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

    • Quoted from the source: “would allow the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to lease their land that is held in trust for a term of up to 99 years with approval from the Department of the Interior (DOI).”
    • Quoted from the source: “Under current law, the tribes cannot lease such land for more than 25 years, with an option to renew the lease once for another 25 years.”
    • Quoted from the source: “Any proceeds from leases would accrue to the tribes.”
    Read the originalU.S. government record, public domain.

Terms with a dotted underline open a plain-language definition. This is guidance, not legal advice: the official text always controls. A free public service from GrantsPath, a Native-owned business.