Delegation’s Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act Signed into Law
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today issued the following statements after their Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act was signed into law by President Trump. The bipartisan legislation will accelerate the review and processing of mortgages on trust land by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
“For years, affordable housing opportunities on tribal trust land have been hard to come by in South Dakota and across the nation due in part to the BIA’s challenging mortgage approval process,” said Thune. “With the enactment of our legislation, this mortgage approval process will now be expedited, encouraging homeownership across Indian Country. I’m grateful to Senator Mike Rounds and Congressman Dusty Johnson for co-leading this bill with me, and I thank President Trump for signing it into law.”
“I’m pleased that President Trump has signed our Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act into law,” said Rounds. “The process of getting a mortgage on tribal trust land is long and bureaucratic, requiring approval from the BIA that is supposed to take 30 days but often takes over one year. This legislation will require the BIA to follow a statutory timeline when processing mortgages for houses and businesses on tribal trust land. This is a long-overdue win for tribal communities in South Dakota.”
“Buying a home or business on tribal trust land is about to get a whole lot easier,” said Johnson. “I’m grateful President Trump signed our Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act into law to improve access to homeownership on tribal lands. Big thanks to Leader John Thune and Senator Mike Rounds for their efforts to support tribal communities by cutting through government bureaucracy at the BIA.”
“Senator Thune has strongly supported expanding homeownership opportunities on tribal land since his early days in the Senate,” said Sharon Vogel, board chair of the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition and executive director of the Cheyenne River Housing Authority in Eagle Butte. “From the beginning, he has focused on prioritizing and streamlining mortgage-related processes within the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act advances that work. We appreciate his vision and leadership in making homeownership more accessible for Native families.”
“At the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC), we deeply appreciate the growing attention and commitment from Congress to tackle the housing challenges facing tribal nations,” said Rudy Soto, executive director of NAIHC. “By removing unnecessary bureaucratic delays, this bill helps unlock opportunity for Native families, strengthens pathways to homeownership, and supports economic mobility in our communities. We look forward to continued collaboration to build on this momentum and ensure tribal housing is fully included in the broader national housing agenda.”
The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act will create statutory timelines for the BIA to process mortgages involving property located on tribal trust land. Additionally, it will enhance the ability of certain federal agencies to operate their tribal housing programs and establish a realty ombudsman within the BIA to improve communication with tribes, tribal members, and lenders. The bill passed the Senate on December 12, 2025, and passed the House of Representatives on March 4, 2026.