S. 1301Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 1:23 AM UTC

The Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2025 updates the National Labor Relations Act to make clear that Indian tribes and tribal enterprises on Indian lands are considered employers under federal labor law. By defining “Indian Tribe,” “Indian,” and “Indian lands,” the bill ensures that workers on tribal lands have the same collective bargaining rights and protections as workers elsewhere.

Key Provisions

Amends the National Labor Relations Act’s definition of “employer” to include any Indian tribe, and any business or institution owned and run by an Indian tribe that is located on Indian lands.
Adds new definitions: “Indian Tribe” (any recognized tribe, band, nation, pueblo, or similar community eligible for U.S. special programs), “Indian” (any individual who is a member of an Indian tribe), and “Indian lands” (lands within reservations, lands held in trust or restricted by the U.S. for tribes or individuals, 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

April 3, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

April 3, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Indian Affairs Committee

April 3, 2025

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in SenateIssued April 3, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1301

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 3, 2025

Mr. Moran (for himself, Mr. Daines, Mr. Risch, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. Mullin) 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 2025.

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.