S. 3219 · Where this bill is now
In the House
Passed the Senate Sep 29, 2026. Received Oct 5, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryReturns New Mexico land to 19 Pueblos
This bill transfers about 10 acres of federal land in Albuquerque, New Mexico, into trust for the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico. The land, which was historically part of an Indian boarding school, is currently managed by the General Services Administration. Within 90 days of the bill becoming law, the land will be handed over to the Department of the Interior, which will then hold it in trust for the Pueblos. The Pueblos can use the land for education, health, cultural activities, business, and economic development, though gaming is prohibited.
How it affects you
This change directly affects the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, giving them control of land that has historical significance to them. For most other people, this is a land transfer with no direct daily impact, though it does return property to Native American communities for their development and cultural purposes.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Nov 19, 2025)
Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025
This bill takes three tracts of specified federal land (approximately 9.89 acres) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, into trust for the benefit of the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico. (These three tracts of land were historically part of the Albuquerque Indian School, which was an Indian boarding school until 1981.)
The land is currently administered by the General Services Administration (GSA). Within 90 days of this bill's enactment and the relocation of all federal tenants, the bill requires (1) the GSA to transfer administrative jurisdiction over the land to the Department of the Interior, and (2) Interior to take the land into trust for the benefit of the 19 Pueblos.
The land taken into trust must be subject to a right-of-way easement, as determined by the GSA, on the federal land located within Tract 1 for purposes of retrieving or relocating federal property from the land to another location. (Tract 1, which is approximately 3.57 acres, contains a warehouse that is 76,682 square feet.)
The bill requires the land taken into trust to be used for the educational, health, cultural, business, and economic development of the 19 Pueblos. Further, the land must remain subject to existing private and municipal encumbrances, rights-of-way, restrictions, easements of record, and utility service agreements.
The bill prohibits gaming on the land taken into trust.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 3219
AN ACT
Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2026
Sponsor: Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) · Introduced Nov 19, 2025 · Native Americans · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Oct 5, 2026: “Held at the desk.”