North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act of 2026
Introduced Mar 21, 2025 by Rep. Julie Fedorchak
The House passed it. The Senate has to pass it before it can reach the President.
This bill allows North Dakota to exchange certain state land grant parcels (e.g., lands granted to North Dakota by Congress when it became a state) located wholly or partially within an Indian reservation for certain federal land of substantially equivalent value. North Dakota manages oil, gas, and agriculture leases on state land grant parcels to generate revenue for education and other public benefits. However, tribal reservations were created on state land grant parcels and reduced the amount of land available for revenue generation.
Specifically, the bill allows the North Dakota Board of University and School Lands to exchange with the Department of the Interior state land grant parcels located wholly or partially within tribal reservations for certain public land in North Dakota administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Upon the request of a tribe, Interior must hold exchanged land within the tribe's reservation in trust on behalf of the tribe.
Further, the bill provides for the continuation of active grazing operations on land exchanged under this bill.
Summary by the Congressional Research Service.
No recorded roll-call vote on this bill — it may have passed by voice vote or unanimous consent, which don't record individual votes.
- May 20, 2026Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- May 19, 2026Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- May 19, 2026On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3567-3569)
- May 19, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3567-3569)
- May 19, 2026DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2252.
- May 19, 2026Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3567-3570)
- May 19, 2026Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Apr 2, 2026Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 501.
- Apr 2, 2026Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-581.
- Mar 5, 2026Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 5, 2026Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Mar 21, 2025Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- Mar 21, 2025Introduced in House