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S 1879 114th Congress Senate Native Americans Economic performance and conditions Federal-Indian relations Indian lands and resources rights Judicial review and appeals Land transfers

Interior Improvement Act

Introduced: July 28, 2015 Introduced by: Barrasso, John Republican · Wyoming See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 9, 2016
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 514.
Jun 9, 2016
Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Barrasso with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-275. Minority views filed.
Dec 2, 2015
Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Jul 28, 2015
Introduced in Senate
Jul 28, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Interior Improvement Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Indian Reorganization Act to expand the definition of Indian to include members of Indian tribes that were federally recognized after June 18, 1934. Trust acquisitions by the Department of the Interior for tribes recognized after June 18, 1934, are ratified and confirmed.

(Sec. 3) Indian tribes and individual Indians may apply to Interior to have off-reservation land taken into trust for the benefit of that tribe or individual. An application must include specified information, including a description of the need for the proposed acquisition and the purpose for which the property is to be used.

Interior must publish these applications and notify jurisdictions contiguous to land included in an application.

Interior must encourage applicants to enter into cooperative agreements with contiguous jurisdictions. An application with a cooperative agreement is automatically approved if Interior does not make a decision on the application within a specified number of days.

In making a decision on an application that does not include a cooperative agreement, Interior must determine whether anticipated impacts on contiguous jurisdictions have been mitigated and consider whether contiguous jurisdictions failed to work in good faith to reach an agreement with the applicant.
What's happening now June 9, 2016

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 514.

 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1879: Interior Improvement Act. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-1879/
MLA
"S. 1879: Interior Improvement Act." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-1879/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1879, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-1879/.
Markdown link
[S. 1879: Interior Improvement Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-1879/)
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