Loading…
S. 3859119th CongressIn committeeLatest action Feb 12, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
Official title: A bill to amend the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993 with respect to future membership in the Catawba Indian Nation.
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govThe plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
S 3859 removes two federal membership restrictions on the Catawba Indian Nation imposed by a 1993 land-dispute settlement law.
45-second read · 4 questions answered below
S 3859 amends a 1993 federal law that resolved land disputes involving the Catawba Indian Nation of South Carolina. That law required tribal membership applicants to be direct descendants of someone on an original membership list and to have maintained ongoing political ties to the tribe. This bill removes both of those conditions from federal law.
The Catawba Indian Nation, a federally recognized tribe based in South Carolina, would gain authority to set its own membership criteria. Individuals who have been blocked from enrolling under the current requirements are also directly affected.
Removing the restrictions would bring the 1993 law closer to the general principle that tribes have the right to determine their own membership. The tribe would have more control over enrollment decisions going forward, without those two conditions being fixed in federal statute.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a Senate committee is reviewing it. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.