S. 622 · Where this bill is now
In the House
Passed the Senate Dec 11, 2025. Received Dec 15, 2025; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRestores land to Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
This bill transfers certain federal land in the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota to the Department of the Interior for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. The land being transferred was historically sold without the unanimous consent of the rightful owners, according to records kept by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. To balance this transfer, the USDA will swap in other National Forest land in the same area, acre-for-acre, preferring land near existing tribal lands and places of cultural importance to the tribe.
How it affects you
This bill directly affects the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, who will regain land in Minnesota that federal records show was sold without their full agreement. The change also affects people who use or rely on the Chippewa National Forest, since the USDA will conduct public engagement and comment periods as it identifies which lands to swap, potentially shifting which parts of the forest are managed by the federal government versus the tribe.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Feb 18, 2025)
Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025
This bill transfers certain federal land located in the Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, Minnesota, to the Department of the Interior for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to transfer for the benefit of the tribe land in the Chippewa National Forest that records maintained by the Bureau of Indian Affairs show was sold without the unanimous consent of the rightful landowners.
Upon agreement between USDA and the tribe, USDA shall substitute alternative National Forest System land located in Cass County, Minnesota, on an acre-for-acre basis for those parcels of federal land to be transferred in a manner that avoids inholdings and provides a preference for land adjacent to or near existing Leech Lake trust lands and lands of cultural importance to the tribe, to the maximum extent practicable.
USDA may transfer land to Interior on a rolling basis as that land is identified and surveys are completed.
USDA, acting through the U.S. Forest Service, must provide for public engagement and comment to implement this bill.
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. 622
AN ACT
Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) · Introduced Feb 18, 2025 · Native Americans · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Dec 15, 2025: “Held at the desk.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 3 official versions.