SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helping Expedite and 
Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act’’ or the 
‘‘HEARTH Act’’. 
SEC. 2. APPROVAL OF, AND REGULATIONS RELATED TO, 
TRIBAL LEASES. 
The first section of the Act titled ‘‘An Act to author-
ize the leasing of restricted Indian lands for public, reli-
gious, educational, recreational, residential, business, and 
other purposes requiring the grant of long-term leases’’, 
approved August 9, 1955 (25 U.S.C. 415) is amended as 
follows: 
(1) In subsection (d)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (2) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(2) the term ‘Indian tribe’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 4(e) of the Indian Self- 
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
U.S.C. 450b(e));’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by striking ‘‘Navajo Indian’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘the Navajo Nation’’ and inserting ‘‘an In-
dian tribe’’; 
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(iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘Navajo Indians or members of another 
Indian tribe’’ and inserting ‘‘an Indian 
tribe or a member of an Indian tribe’’; and 
(iv) in subparagraph (C)(I), by strik-
ing ‘‘Navajo Indian’’ and inserting ‘‘mem-
ber of an Indian tribe’’; 
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘the 
Navajo Nation’’ and inserting ‘‘an applicable 
Indian tribe’’; 
(D) by striking paragraph (5) and redesig-
nating paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) as para-
graphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively; 
(E) in paragraph (5) (as redesignated), by 
striking ‘‘the Navajo Nation’’ and inserting ‘‘an 
Indian tribe’’; and 
(F) in paragraph (7) (as redesignated)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘the Navajo Nation’’; 
and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘with Navajo Nation 
law’’ and inserting ‘‘with applicable tribal 
law’’. 
(2) In subsection (e)— 
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(A) by amending the subsection heading to 
read as follows: ‘‘APPROVAL OF LEASES—TRIB-
AL DISCRETION.—’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by striking ‘‘Any leases by the 
Navajo Nation’’ and inserting ‘‘At the dis-
cretion of any Indian tribe, any leases by 
the applicable Indian tribe’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘Navajo Nation’’ and inserting ‘‘applicable 
Indian tribe’’; 
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Nav-
ajo’’; 
(D) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘the regulations of the 
Navajo Nation’’ and inserting ‘‘such regu-
lations’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘with the Navajo Na-
tion’’ and inserting ‘‘with the applicable 
Indian tribe’’; 
(E) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘Navajo 
Nation’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘applicable Indian tribe’’; 
(F) in paragraph (5)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘paragraph (1), includ-
ing the Navajo Nation.’’ and inserting 
‘‘paragraph (1).’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘to the Navajo Na-
tion’’ and inserting ‘‘to the applicable In-
dian tribe’’; 
(G) in paragraph (6)(A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘of the Navajo Nation’’ 
and inserting ‘‘of the applicable Indian 
tribe’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘Navajo Nation tribal’’ 
and inserting ‘‘tribal’’; and 
(H) in paragraph (6)(B), by striking 
‘‘Navajo Nation’’ both places it appears and in-
serting ‘‘applicable Indian tribe’’. 
SEC. 3. LAND TITLE REPORTS—REVIEW AND REPORT TO 
CONGRESS. 
Not later than 180 days after funds are made avail-
able for this section, the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall 
prepare and submit to the Committees on Financial Serv-
ices and Natural Resources in the House of Representa-
tives and the Committees on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs and Indian Affairs in the Senate a report 
regarding the history and experience of Indian tribes that 
have chosen to assume responsibility for operating the In-
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dian Land Title and Records Office (hereafter referred to 
as the ‘‘LTRO’’) functions from the Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs. In conducting the review, the Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs shall consult with the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development Office of Native American Programs 
and those Indian tribes that are managing LTRO func-
tions (hereafter referred to as the ‘‘managing Indian 
tribes’’). The review shall include an analysis of the fol-
lowing factors: 
(1) Whether and how tribal management of the 
LTRO functions has expedited the processing and 
issuance of Indian land title certifications as com-
pared to when the Bureau of Indian Affairs man-
aged these programs. 
(2) Whether and how tribal management of the 
LTRO functions has increased home ownership 
among the managing Indian tribe’s population. 
(3) What internal preparations and processes 
were required of the managing Indian tribes prior to 
assuming management of the LTRO functions. 
(4) Whether tribal management of the LTRO 
functions resulting in a transfer of financial re-
sources and manpower from the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs to the managing Indian tribes and, if so, 
what transfers were undertaken. 
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