Rep. Dusty Johnson
The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 22 gave unanimous consent to bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) that would streamline the approval process for mortgages on tribal trust land.
The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025, H.R. 2130, which Rep. Johnson sponsored in March 2025 alongside three original cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Tom Cole (R-OK) and Joe Neguse (D-CO), now heads to the full chamber for reconciliation with its identical bill, S. 723, which the U.S. Senate approved in December 2025.
“Homeownership is the bedrock of the American dream but has become out of reach for many individuals and families. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is only creating more obstacles to reach that goal,” Rep. Johnson said. “My bill cuts through layers of bureaucracy and delays to make homeownership more accessible on tribal trust land. I’m grateful the House Natural Resources Committee passed this legislation and I’m hopeful it passes the House soon.”
Currently, in order to be finalized, mortgages involving property on tribal trust land must be reviewed and approved by the BIA. The BIA Mortgage Handbook establishes timelines for BIA offices to process and approve these mortgages. However, these timelines are not always adhered to, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Johnson’s staff.
If enacted, the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act would provide timely processing of mortgages by creating statutory timelines in which the BIA would be required to process and approve mortgages involving property located on tribal trust land.
Additionally, the bill would require the BIA to notify lenders upon receipt of such documentation and perform a preliminary review of such documents no later than 10 days after receipt and approve or disapprove of such documents within 20 or 30 days, depending on the type of application.
The BIA also would be required to notify the lender once the proposed residential leasehold mortgage, business leasehold mortgage, or right-of-way document has been received, the summary says.
A realty ombudsman position also would be established within the BIA to communicate with relevant parties and enhance the ability of certain federal agencies to operate their tribal housing programs and to improve communication between the BIA and tribes, tribal members, and lenders.