H.R. 6087: To sunset the Federal recognition and acknowledgment process within the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior, and for other purposes.

110th Congress · introduced 2008-05-20 · Native Americans · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2008-05-20 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Campbell, John [R-CA-48] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

To sunset the Federal recognition and acknowledgment process within the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

Bars an American Indian Group seeking federal tribal acknowledgment that does not submit a letter of intent to the Secretary of the Interior within 180 days after receiving notice under this Act from petitioning for or receiving status as a federally recognized Indian tribe through any administrative process. Requires the Secretary to publish in the Federal Register the need of any group to submit such a letter and to notify each group with a pending petition for federal tribal acknowledgment by first class mail. Directs the Secretary, when multiple petitions are submitted by groups claiming the same name, to inform each group that all such petitions shall receive no consideration and such petitions shall not be considered. Authorizes: (1) the Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) to expedite a finding declining to acknowledge a group if it determines that the group clearly did not demonstrate in the application that it meets at least three of seven required criteria; and (2) a group that has an application denied to appeal to the Board of Indian Appeals. Sets deadlines for the submission of applications and for the consideration of petitions. Terminates the Federal Recognition and Acknowledgment Process by the earlier of three years after enactment of this Act or upon completion of all final decisions by OFA. Provides that no groups shall thereafter be acknowledged as federally recognized Indian tribes through an administrative process.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

To sunset the Federal recognition and acknowledgment process within the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Campbell, John [R-CA-48] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Agencies named in this bill

Department of the Interior: its federal spending and other bills that name it

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Federal Register: The official daily publication of the U.S. government for agency rules, proposed rules, public notices and presidential documents.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110hr6087.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/hr>

Record fed-us-cong110-hr6087 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110