WASHINGTON - Today the Senate passed by unanimous consent H.R. 205, the HEARTH Act, which allows Indian tribes to lease their lands for residential, business and other economic development purposes without federal oversight under certain circumstances. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee, praised the passage of the bill, which was authored by Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).
“Passage of HEARTH through Congress is a significant step forward for tribal sovereignty and self-government, and I congratulate Mr. Heinrich for championing such an important piece of legislation. I also want to congratulate Rep. Heinrich for his leadership, persistence and dedication to getting HEARTH enacted this year. Without his hard work, this bill would not have become law."
“I applaud the Senate’s swift action to send this important legislation to the President for his signature after the House passed H.R. 205 unanimously in a 400-0 vote."
Rep. Heinrich's statement on the passage of the HEARTH Act can be found here.
