PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Gonzalez, Vicente [D-TX-34] · D–TX
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Oct 6, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-16 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas Recognition Act would give the Tribe federal recognition and apply federal laws generally governing Indian Tribes to it and its members. It would make them eligible for federal Tribal services and benefits even without a reservation, after officials verify the membership roll and assess service needs. The bill also sets rules for documenting membership and recognizing the Tribe’s governing body.
This Act may be cited as the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas Recognition Act.
(a) In general Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe. (b) Applicability of Federal laws Except as otherwise provided in this Act, all Federal laws (including regulations) of general application to Indians and Indian Tribes, including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 5101 et seq., commonly known as the Indian Reorganization Act), shall apply to the Tribe and its members.
The Tribe and its members shall be eligible for all services and benefits provided by the Federal Government to federally recognized Indian Tribes, including services and benefits under the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.), without regard to the existence of a reservation for the Tribe when— (1) the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services has each developed a determination of needs under subsection (c); and (2) the Secretary has completed the verification of the membership roll under subsection (d).
The qualifications for inclusion on the membership roll of the Tribe shall be determined in accordance with the governing documents submitted under subsection (a).
The governing body of the Tribe shall be— (1) the governing body in place as of the date of enactment of this Act; or (2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance with the election procedure specified in the governing documents of the Tribe.
The bill’s findings state that the Tribe has maintained a distinct political and cultural community and that lack of federal recognition has denied access to services and benefits. These are statements Congress would adopt in the bill, not independently established effects of the proposal.
Congress finds the following:
(8) The Tribe has continuously existed as a distinct political and cultural community to the present day. (9) The lack of Federal recognition has denied the Tribe and its members access to services and benefits provided to other federally recognized Indian Tribes.
The bill defines the Tribe as the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas. Its definition of Tribal member covers individual people enrolled when the bill becomes law and people added to the membership rolls in accordance with the bill. References to the Secretary mean the Secretary of the Interior.
(1) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. (2) Tribal member The term Tribal member means— (A) an individual who is an enrolled member of the Tribe as of the date of the enactment of this Act; and (B) an individual who is placed on the membership rolls of the Tribe in accordance with this Act. (3) Tribe The term Tribe means the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas.
The bill would extend federal recognition to the Tribe. Except where the bill provides otherwise, federal laws and regulations generally applicable to Indians and Indian Tribes would apply, including the Indian Reorganization Act.
(a) In general Federal recognition is extended to the Tribe. (b) Applicability of Federal laws Except as otherwise provided in this Act, all Federal laws (including regulations) of general application to Indians and Indian Tribes, including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 5101 et seq., commonly known as the Indian Reorganization Act), shall apply to the Tribe and its members.
Eligibility for federal Tribal services and benefits would require both Interior and Health and Human Services to develop assessments of needs, and Interior to finish verifying the membership roll. A reservation would not be required for that eligibility.
The Tribe and its members shall be eligible for all services and benefits provided by the Federal Government to federally recognized Indian Tribes, including services and benefits under the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.), without regard to the existence of a reservation for the Tribe when— (1) the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services has each developed a determination of needs under subsection (c); and (2) the Secretary has completed the verification of the membership roll under subsection (d).
Within 120 days after enactment, the area for delivering federal services to Tribal members would have to be determined in coordination and consultation with the Secretary of the Interior.
(b) Service area Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Service area for the purpose of delivery of Federal services to Tribal members shall be determined in coordination and consultation with the Secretary.
After membership verification, Interior and Health and Human Services would each have to consult the Tribe and assess the needs for eligible services. Each would have to submit a written statement to Congress in the first federal budget year following verification and include it in that year’s required budget materials.
(c) Determination of needs On verification by the Secretary of a membership roll under subsection (d), the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall each— (1) develop, in consultation with the Tribe, a determination of needs to provide the services for which members of the Tribe are eligible; and (2) in the first fiscal year following the date on which the membership roll is verified under subsection (d), submit to Congress a written statement of those needs which shall be included in the materials submitted pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for that fiscal year.
To receive the covered federal services and benefits, the Tribe would have to submit its membership roll in effect at enactment to Interior for verification.
(d) Tribal membership roll (1) In general As a condition of receiving Federal services and benefits described in subsection (a), the Tribe shall submit to the Secretary the membership roll in effect on the date of enactment of this Act, which shall be verified by the Secretary in accordance with paragraph (2).
Interior’s verification would be limited to checking documentary proof that members satisfy the criteria in the submitted Tribal governing documents. Verification would have to finish within two years after the Tribe submits a digitized roll with supporting documentary proof.
(2) Verification and timeline The verification by the Secretary under paragraph (1) shall— (A) be limited to confirming documentary proof of compliance with the membership criteria set out in the governing documents submitted under section 6; and (B) be completed not later than 2 years after the submission of a digitized membership roll with supporting documentary proof by the Tribe to the Secretary.
The bill would use the most recent membership roll and governing documents the Tribe submits to Interior upon enactment. Those governing documents would determine membership qualifications, and the Tribe would maintain its roll.
(a) In general The membership roll and governing documents of the Tribe shall be the most recent membership roll and governing documents, respectively, submitted by the Tribe to the Secretary upon enactment of this Act. (b) Determination of membership The qualifications for inclusion on the membership roll of the Tribe shall be determined in accordance with the governing documents submitted under subsection (a). (c) Maintenance of roll The Tribe shall maintain the membership roll.
The bill would recognize the Tribal governing body in place at enactment or a later governing body elected under the election procedures in the Tribe’s governing documents.
The governing body of the Tribe shall be— (1) the governing body in place as of the date of enactment of this Act; or (2) any subsequent governing body elected in accordance with the election procedure specified in the governing documents of the Tribe.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated October 6, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Natural Resources on September 16, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-06T08:06:09Z. 2026-09-16: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. 2026-09-16: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-16. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or appropriations policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending allocation for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; the source set does not establish formal earmark status in accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No separate narrow exemption or preferential benefit was identified in the complete supplied introduced text under the specified definition. Recognition and access to generally available Tribal programs are treated as the bill’s main policy and intended coverage. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 6, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI