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Policy Watchtower/Legislation

Senate panel advances bill allowing 99-year leases on Mashpee and Aquinnah trust land

Interior DepartmentLegislationSep 14, 2026

Check: The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs reported S. 236 without amendment, which would let the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) lease their trust land for up to 99 years instead of the current 25-year term plus one 25-year renewal.

Read the original

What it does

Under the Long-Term Leasing Act (LTLA, a 1955 law that governs leases of tribal trust and restricted land), current law caps leases at 25 years with one renewal of up to 25 years. If enacted, S. 236 would let these two Massachusetts tribes lease trust land for up to 99 years, with Department of the Interior (DOI) approval, and any lease proceeds would go to the tribes. The companion bill H.R. 681 passed the House on March 3, 2026, and the Senate committee also reported H.R. 681 on May 20, 2026.

Why it matters for tribal funding

Directly tribal. The document is about tribes, tribal programs or Native organizations specifically.

Who it covers: Tribal governments.

What to do next

  1. Track Senate floor action on S. 236 and House-passed companion H.R. 681, since both bills carry the same text.
  2. Tribes and tribal entities with Massachusetts trust land should plan for DOI approval steps if the 99-year authority is enacted.

Sources

Every signal is built from public records. The highlighted words appear in the source exactly as shown.

  • Congress.gov: appropriations committee reportscommittee_reportSep 14, 2026

    A BILL TO AMEND THE ACT OF AUGUST 9, 1955 (COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE "LONG-TERM LEASING ACT"), TO AUTHORIZE LEASES OF UP TO 99 YEARS FOR LAND IN THE MASHPEE WAMPANOAG TRIBE RESERVATION AND LAND HELD IN TRUST FOR THE WAMPANOAG TRIBE OF GAY HEAD (AQUINNAH), AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

    • Quoted from the source: “would allow the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to lease their land that is held in trust for a term of up to 99 years with approval from the Department of the Interior (DOI).”
    • Quoted from the source: “Any proceeds from leases would accrue to the tribes.”
    • Quoted from the source: “The Department supports the authority for the Tribes to enter into leases for 99 years as tribal governments are in the best position to determine the duration of such leases.”
    Read the originalU.S. government record, public domain.

Terms with a dotted underline open a plain-language definition. This is guidance, not legal advice: the official text always controls. A free public service from GrantsPath, a Native-owned business.