S. 2867Senate117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2021

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Updated February 8, 2026 at 6:59 AM UTC

The Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2021 updates the National Labor Relations Act to explicitly include Indian tribes and tribal‑owned enterprises as employers on Indian lands. It adds clear definitions for “Indian Tribe,” “Indian,” and “Indian lands,” covering reservations, trust lands, and former reservation areas in Oklahoma. The changes affect tribal governments, tribal businesses, and workers on those lands by extending NLRA protections and obligations.

Key Provisions

Amends the NLRA definition of “employer” to include any Indian tribe, or any enterprise or institution owned and operated by an Indian tribe located on Indian lands.
Adds definitions: “Indian Tribe” (any recognized tribe, band, nation, pueblo, or similar group), “Indian” (any individual member of a tribe), and “Indian lands” (reservation lands, trust lands, and former reservation lands in Oklahoma).

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Indian Affairs Committee

September 28, 2021

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 28, 2021

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Indian Affairs Committee

September 28, 2021

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in SenateIssued September 28, 2021

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 2867

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 28, 2021

Mr. Moran (for himself, Mr. Thune, Mr. Risch, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. Daines) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

A BILL

To clarify the rights of Indians and Indian Tribes on Indian lands under the National Labor Relations Act.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2021.

Definition of employer

Section 2 of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 152) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (2), by inserting or any Indian Tribe, or any enterprise or institution owned and operated by an Indian Tribe and located on its Indian lands, after subdivision thereof,; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following:

(15)

The term Indian Tribe means any Indian Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, or other organized group or community which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.

(16)

The term Indian means any individual who is a member of an Indian Tribe.

(17)

The term Indian lands means—

(A)

all lands within the limits of any Indian reservation;

(B)

any lands title to which is either held in trust by the United States for the benefit of any Indian Tribe or Indian or held by any Indian Tribe or Indian subject to restriction by the United States against alienation; and

(C)

any lands in the State of Oklahoma that are within the boundaries of a former reservation (as defined by the Secretary of the Interior) of a federally recognized Indian Tribe.