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.
Key claim: This bill would amend the Long-Term Leasing Act to allow the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to lease their trust lands for terms of up to 99 years.
Abstract
(S236 · 119th Congress) This bill authorizes the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to lease their land held in trust for a term of up to 99 years. Both tribes are located in Massachusetts. Latest action (2026-05-20): Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Why this matters
Long-term leasing authority under 25 U.S.C. § 415 has been extended tribe-by-tribe over decades because trust land cannot be alienated and short lease terms discourage investment in housing, commercial, and infrastructure projects. Adding the Mashpee Wampanoag and Aquinnah Wampanoag to the list of tribes with 99-year leasing authority would put them on equal footing with other tribes that already have this economic-development tool, without requiring case-by-case Interior Department approval. The change is procedurally modest but materially affects the tribes’ capacity to develop their own lands.