II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1275 

To improve the housing conditions and promote useful land uses within 

tribal communities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 25, 2017 

Mr. HOEVEN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Indian Affairs 

A BILL 

To improve the housing conditions and promote useful land 

uses within tribal communities, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bringing Useful Initia5 tives for Indian Land Development Act of 2017’’ or the 

6 ‘‘BUIILD Act of 2017’’. 

7 SEC. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. 

8 Section 105 of the Native American Housing Assist9 ance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 

10 4115) is amended by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(e) CONSOLIDATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

2 REQUIREMENTS.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If a recipient is using one 

4 or more sources of Federal funds in addition to 

5 grant amounts under this Act in carrying out a 

6 project that qualifies as an affordable housing activ7 ity under section 202, where grant amounts under 

8 this Act constitute the largest single source of Fed9 eral funds that the recipient reasonably expects to 

10 commit to the project at the time of environmental 

11 review, the recipient’s tribe may, in addition to as12 suming all of the responsibilities for environmental 

13 review, decisionmaking, and action pursuant to sub14 section (a), assume all of the additional responsibil15 ities for environmental review, decisionmaking, and 

16 action under provisions of law that would apply to 

17 the Federal agencies that are the other sources of 

18 Federal funds for the project. 

19 ‘‘(2) DISCHARGE.—A tribe’s compliance with 

20 the additional responsibilities described in paragraph 

21 (1), as well as the review requirements under the 

22 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and re23 lated laws specified in regulations issued under this 

24 section with regard to such project shall be deemed 

25 to discharge the responsibility of such other Federal 


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1 agencies for compliance with any applicable environ2 mental review requirements with respect to such 

3 project. 

4 ‘‘(3) CERTIFICATION.—In the case of a tribe 

5 that assumes additional responsibilities described in 

6 paragraph (1), the certification under subsection (c) 

7 shall, in addition to the content required under sub8 section (c), specify— 

9 ‘‘(A) the additional responsibilities that the 

10 tribe has fully carried out under this subsection; 

11 and 

12 ‘‘(B) that the certifying officer consents to 

13 assume the status of a responsible Federal offi14 cial under such additional provisions of law. 

15 ‘‘(4) LIABILITY.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A tribe that completes 

17 an environmental review pursuant to this sub18 section shall assume sole liability for the con19 tent and quality of the review. 

20 ‘‘(B) REMEDIES AND SANCTIONS.—In the 

21 event that the Secretary has approved a certifi22 cation and release of funds for a project in ac23 cordance with subsection (b), but the Secretary 

24 or another funding Federal agency subsequently 

25 learns that a tribe failed to carry out its reVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:13 Jun 03, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1275.IS S1275

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1 sponsibilities as described in subsection (a), the 

2 appropriate remedies and sanctions may be im3 posed in accordance with regulations issued 

4 pursuant to section 106, or in accordance with 

5 other sources of Federal funds assisting the 

6 project. 

7 ‘‘(C) STATUTORY VIOLATION WAIVERS.— 

8 In the event that a statutory violation waiver 

9 request is made under subsection (d) and is ap10 proved by the Secretary, such approval of the 

11 waiver request shall discharge other sources of 

12 Federal funds assisting the project from impos13 ing remedies or sanctions.’’. 

14 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

15 Section 108 of the Native American Housing Assist16 ance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 

17 4117) is amended in the first sentence by striking ‘‘2009 

18 through 2013’’ and inserting ‘‘2018 through 2025’’. 

19 SEC. 4. 99-YEAR LEASEHOLD INTEREST IN TRUST OR RE20 STRICTED LANDS FOR HOUSING PURPOSES. 

21 Section 702 of the Native American Housing Assist22 ance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 

23 4211) is amended— 

24 (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘50’’ and 

25 inserting ‘‘99’’; 


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1 (2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘50 years’’ 

2 and inserting ‘‘99 years’’; and 

3 (3) in subsection (c)— 

4 (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(in ef5 fect before, on, or after the date of enactment 

6 of the Bringing Useful Initiatives for Indian 

7 Land Development Act of 2017)’’ after ‘‘law’’; 

8 and 

9 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘50 

10 years’’ and inserting ‘‘99 years’’. 

11 SEC. 5. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

12 Section 703 of the Native American Housing Assist13 ance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 

14 4212) is amended to read as follows: 

15 ‘‘SEC. 703. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 

16 ‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated for assist17 ance for providing training and technical assistance to In18 dian tribes and tribally designated housing entities such 

19 sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2018 

20 through 2025. Such assistance shall be made available to 

21 training and technical assistance providers.’’. 

22 SEC. 6. LOAN GUARANTEES FOR INDIAN HOUSING. 

23 Section 184(i) of the Housing and Community Devel24 opment Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 1715z–13a(i)) is amend25 ed— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (5)— 

2 (A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting after 

3 the period at the end of the first sentence the 

4 following: ‘‘There are authorized to be appro5 priated for those costs $12,200,000 for each of 

6 fiscal years 2018 through 2025.’’; and 

7 (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking 

8 ‘‘2008 through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018 

9 through 2025’’; and 

10 (2) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘2008 

11 through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2018 through 2025’’. 

12 SEC. 7. LEVERAGING. 

13 All funds provided under a grant made pursuant to 

14 the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Deter15 mination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.) may be 

16 used for purposes of meeting matching or cost participa17 tion requirements under any other Federal or non-Federal 

18 program. 

Æ 


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