S. 697Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act

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Updated January 20, 2026 at 4:31 AM UTC

The Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act amends the 2014 Agricultural Act to change how revenue from timber sales and other payments under good‑neighbor agreements is handled. It adds Indian tribes to the list of entities—alongside state governors and counties—that can receive and retain those funds for restoration work. The changes apply to any good‑neighbor project started after the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act or after this bill becomes law, affecting tribal, county, and state governments that work with the USDA and the Interior Department.

Key Provisions

Amends Section 8206 of the Agricultural Act to insert references to "Indian tribe" in multiple places, allowing tribes to be treated like governors and counties under good‑neighbor agreements.
Specifies that funds from timber sales under a good‑neighbor agreement must first be used for authorized restoration services under that agreement, with any surplus used for restoration under other good‑neighbor agreements.
Removes paragraph (4) of the original provision and makes conforming amendments inserting "Indian tribe" in related subsections.
Sets the effective date to apply to projects initiated after the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act or on/after enactment of this bill.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

March 8, 2023

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

March 8, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

March 8, 2023

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued March 8, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 697

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 8, 2023

Mr. Risch introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

A BILL

To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to modify the treatment of revenue from timber sale contracts and certain payments made by counties to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior under good neighbor agreements, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act.

Modification of the treatment of certain revenue and payments under good neighbor agreements

(a)

Good neighbor authority

Section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)(6), by striking or Indian tribe; and

(2)

in subsection (b)—

(A)

in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting , Indian tribe, after Governor;

(B)

in paragraph (2)(C), by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:

(i)

In general

Funds received from the sale of timber by a Governor, an Indian tribe, or a county under a good neighbor agreement shall be retained and used by the Governor, Indian tribe, or county, as applicable—

(I)

to carry out authorized restoration services under the good neighbor agreement; and

(II)

if there are funds remaining after carrying out subclause (I), to carry out authorized restoration services under other good neighbor agreements.

;

(C)

in paragraph (3), by inserting , Indian tribe, after Governor; and

(D)

by striking paragraph (4).

(b)

Conforming amendments

Section 8206(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting , Indian tribe, after Governor; and

(2)

in paragraph (5), by inserting , Indian tribe, after Governor.

(c)

Effective date

The amendments made by this Act apply to any project initiated pursuant to a good neighbor agreement (as defined in section 8206(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)))—

(1)

before the date of enactment of this Act, if the project was initiated after the date of enactment of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–334; 132 Stat. 4490); or

(2)

on or after the date of enactment of this Act.