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The House passed H.R. 43, which allows Alaska Native Village Corporations to reclaim land previously set aside for future municipal governments that were never formed. The bill passed with near-unanimous bipartisan support.
H.R. 43, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025, reverses a 1971 requirement that forced Native Village Corporations to give up land to the State of Alaska to hold in trust for potential future cities. This bill ends that requirement for the future and allows corporations to request the return of land currently held in trust if those cities were never established. This vote was held under 'suspension of the rules,' a fast-track procedure used for bills that have broad agreement. Because this process skips several steps and limits debate, it requires a two-thirds supermajority to pass rather than a simple majority. The bill passed with nearly every member present voting in favor, reflecting a rare moment of complete bipartisan agreement. Having cleared the House, the measure now moves to the Senate. If it becomes law, it will grant Native corporations greater control over their ancestral lands and economic development opportunities.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration, where it will likely follow a similar path if it remains non-controversial.
OPEN BILL →Why it matters. This bill restores land sovereignty to Alaska Native corporations, allowing them to manage their property without being legally bound to reserve it for hypothetical municipal governments that do not exist.
Who’s affected. Alaska Native Village Corporations: Regain direct control and ownership over land previously held in trust by the state. · State of Alaska: Relieved of the responsibility to manage land trusts for future municipal development.
Democrats. The Democratic caucus was nearly entirely in favor of the bill.
Republicans. The Republican caucus was nearly entirely in favor of the bill.
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
Feb 4, 2025
The House passed H.R.
43, which allows Alaska Native Village Corporations to reclaim land previously set aside for future municipal governments that were never formed. The bill passed with near-unanimous bipartisan support.
This was a 'suspension of the rules' vote, which is a shortcut used for non-controversial bills with broad support. To prevent the majority party from bypassing the minority on divisive issues, this procedure requires a two-thirds supermajority (66.7%) to pass.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration, where it will likely follow a similar path if it remains non-controversial.
This bill restores land sovereignty to Alaska Native corporations, allowing them to manage their property without being legally bound to reserve it for hypothetical municipal governments that do not exist.
The vote was almost entirely unanimous across both parties, with only one member voting against the measure.
The Democratic caucus was nearly entirely in favor of the bill.
The Republican caucus was nearly entirely in favor of the bill.
The single independent member voted in favor of the bill.