S. 703: HEARTH Act of 2011
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S. 703: HEARTH Act of 2011
112th Congress · introduced 2011-03-31 · Native Americans · Latest: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2011-03-31 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably. 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.
Official title
HEARTH Act of 2011
Plain summary
Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act of 2011 or HEARTH Act of 2011 - Extends to any Indian tribe the discretion granted under current law only to the Navajo Nation to lease restricted lands for business, agricultural, public, religious, educational, recreational, or residential purposes without the approval of the Secretary of the Interior. (The Secretary must still approve the tribal regulations under which those leases are executed and mining leases still require the Secretary's approval.) Sets forth the environmental review process required under tribal lease regulations before those regulations obtain the Secretary's approval. Requires the process to identify and evaluate any significant effects a proposed lease may have on the environment and allow public comment on those effects. Allows tribes to rely on a federal environmental review process rather than the tribal environmental review process if the project under review is federally funded. Directs the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to report to Congress on the history and experience of Indian tribes that have chosen to assume the BIA's responsibility for operating the Indian Land Title and Records Office.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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
HEARTH Act of 2011
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY] · 8 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
John Thune (R-SD), Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY] reported raising $1.8 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
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 (2)
- Public comment
- A chance for anyone to tell a government agency what they think about a proposed rule or plan before it is final. Agencies must consider the comments they receive.
- Rulemaking
- The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112s703.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/s>
Record fed-us-cong112-s703 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112