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S. 3219Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

A bill to transfer certain Federal land into trust for certain Indian Pueblos in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.

Sponsored by Martin HeinrichSen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Introduced November 19, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated December 18, 2025 at 5:22 AM UTC

The Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025 transfers roughly 10 acres of former federal school property in Albuquerque into trust for 19 New Mexico Indian pueblos. The transfer is handled by the General Services Administration and the Department of the Interior, and the land can be used for the pueblos’ educational, health, cultural, business, and economic development needs. Existing easements stay in place, and gaming on the land is prohibited.

Key Provisions

  • The General Services Administration must transfer three parcels of federal land (about 9.89 acres) in Albuquerque, formerly part of the Albuquerque Indian School, to the Secretary of the Interior within 90 days of the law’s enactment.
  • The Secretary of the Interior will hold the land in trust for the benefit of 19 New Mexico Indian pueblos, allowing them to use it for education, health, cultural, business, and economic development purposes.
  • A right‑of‑way easement is retained on one parcel (the 3.57‑acre tract with a warehouse) so the federal government can move or retrieve property from that land.
  • The land will remain subject to any existing private, municipal, or utility easements and will be governed by federal laws that apply to Indian trust land in New Mexico.
  • All forms of Indian gaming (Class I, II, and III) are prohibited on the transferred land.

Legislative Activity

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3 earlier actions
SenateCommittee Latest Action

Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

Indian Affairs Committee

August 5, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

November 19, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Indian Affairs Committee

November 19, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.

Indian Affairs Committee

June 3, 2026

SenateCommittee

Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

Indian Affairs Committee

August 5, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued November 19, 2025

II

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 3219

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

November 19, 2025

Mr. Heinrich (for himself and Mr. Luján) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

A BILL

To transfer certain Federal land into trust for certain Indian Pueblos in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025.

2.

Transfer of land into trust for the 19 Pueblos

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

19 Pueblos

The term 19 Pueblos means the New Mexico Indian Pueblos of—

(A)

Acoma;

(B)

Cochiti;

(C)

Isleta;

(D)

Jemez;

(E)

Laguna;

(F)

Nambe;

(G)

Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan);

(H)

Picuris;

(I)

Pojoaque;

(J)

San Felipe;

(K)

San Ildefonso;

(L)

Sandia;

(M)

Santa Ana;

(N)

Santa Clara;

(O)

Santo Domingo;

(P)

Taos;

(Q)

Tesuque;

(R)

Zia; and

(S)

Zuni.

(2)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

(3)

Survey

Except as provided in subsection (e), the term survey means the survey plat entitled Plat of Tracts 1 Thru 3 Lands of US Indian Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs, prepared by Surv-Tek, Inc., and dated May 2023.

(b)

Land into trust

Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act and the relocation of all Federal tenants—

(1)

the Administrator of General Services shall transfer administrative jurisdiction over the Federal land described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (c) to the Secretary; and

(2)

on completion of the transfer of administrative jurisdiction under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall receive the transfer and hold in trust all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the Federal land described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of that subsection for the benefit of the 19 Pueblos.

(c)

Federal land described

The Federal land referred to in this section is the 3 tracts of Federal land, the combined acreage of which is approximately 9.89 acres, that were historically part of the Albuquerque Indian School and, as of the date of enactment of this Act, are under the custody and accountability of the General Services Administration, more particularly described as follows:

(1)

Tract 1

The approximately 3.57 acres located in secs. 7 and 8 of T. 10 N., R. 3 E., of the New Mexico Principal Meridian in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on which stands a 76,682 square foot warehouse, as identified on the survey.

(2)

Tract 2

The approximately 5.78 acres located in secs. 7 and 8 of T. 10 N., R. 3 E., of the New Mexico Principal Meridian in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as identified on the survey.

(3)

Tract 3

The approximately .54 acres located in secs. 7 and 8 of T. 10 N., R. 3 E., of the New Mexico Principal Meridian in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as identified on the survey.

(d)

Easement on tract 1

The Federal land transferred into trust under subsection (b)(2) shall be subject to a right-of-way easement, as determined by the Administrator of General Services, on the Federal land described in subsection (c)(1) for purposes of retrieving or relocating Federal property from that Federal land to another location.

(e)

Survey

(1)

In general

The Secretary—

(A)

shall obtain a survey of the land to be transferred into trust under subsection (b)(2); and

(B)

may make minor corrections to the survey and legal description of the Federal land described in subsection (c) as the Secretary determines to be necessary to correct clerical, typographical, and surveying land title errors.

(2)

Availability

The survey obtained under paragraph (1) shall be recorded in the public records of the County Clerk Office of Bernalillo County, New Mexico.

(f)

Use of land

The Federal land transferred into trust under subsection (b)(2) shall be—

(1)

used for the educational, health, cultural, business, and economic development of the 19 Pueblos; and

(2)

subject to Federal laws applicable to Indian trust land in the State of New Mexico.

(g)

Limitations and conditions

The Federal land transferred into trust under subsection (b)(2) shall remain subject to any private or municipal encumbrance, right-of-way, restriction, easement of record, or utility service agreement in effect on the date of enactment of this Act.

(h)

Gaming prohibition

Class I gaming, class II gaming, and class III gaming (as those terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2703)) are prohibited on the Federal land transferred into trust under subsection (b)(2).