The U.S. House of Representatives considers H.R.43, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act, on February 4, 2025.
The bill amends the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) to ensure that Native village corporations aren’t required to convey some of their lands to the state of Alaska for future municipalities.
Currently, Native village corporations are unable to utilize lands that are being held by the state government in anticipation of municipalities that have not been established, and are not likely to be established.
H.R.43 returns such lands to those Native village corporations under ANCSA, which became law more than a half century ago in 1971.
“More than 50 years later, only 8 of 101 affected villages have incorporated, leaving 11,500 acres in 83 villages frozen in bureaucratic limbo,” said Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska), a new member of the U.S. Congress and the sponsor of the bill.
“H.R.43 eliminates this outdated requirement and returns these lands
to Village Corporations, allowing for housing, economic development,
and community expansion,” said Begich. “This bill restores self-determination,
ensuring Alaska Natives, not government bureaucracy, decide how to use
their own land.”
Following consideration of the bill, a recorded vote was requested. The House passed H.R.43 by vote of 412 to 1 later on February 4.
Note: Thumbnail photo by mcav0y (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
