Indian Community Economic Enhancement Act of 2020
Public Law 116-261 · S. 212 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 30, 2020 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Martha McSally
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Indian Community Economic Enhancement Act of 2020
This bill makes several revisions related to economic development for Native American communities.
(Sec. 3) Specifically, the bill establishes duties for the Office of Native American Business Development, including (1) advising the Department of Commerce regarding the relationship between the United States and Indian tribes; and (2) serving as the point of contact for tribes, tribal organizations, and members of tribes regarding economic development and doing business in Indian lands.
The bill also requires coordination between Commerce, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of the Treasury to support economic development in Native American communities.
Under the bill, assistance from the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund benefiting Native American institutions does not require matching funds.
The Government Accountability Office must conduct a study that assesses (1) current programs and services that assist Native American communities with business and economic development; (2) assistance provided to Native Americans pursuant to loan, bond, and tax incentive programs; and (3) alternative incentives for tribal governments to invest in a Native American community development investment fund or bank.
(Sec. 4) The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to use Native American labor and purchase Native American industry products, unless Interior or HHS determines it would be impracticable and unreasonable to do so. Among other requirements, HHS and Interior must conduct outreach to Indian industrial entities in the implementation of enterprise development.
(Sec. 5) Additionally, the bill authorizes the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) to provide financial assistance to Native American community development financial institutions. ANA must give priority for financial assistance to applicants whose programs seek to develop (1) tribal codes and court systems relating to economic development, (2) tribal business structures, (3) community development financial institutions, or (4) tribal master plans for community and economic development and infrastructure.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1937Identical bill
Indian Community Economic Enhancement Act of 2019
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 29 actions.
- Dec 30, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-261.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 21, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 18, 2020FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 17, 2020Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 212 by Voice Vote.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 212 by Voice Vote.
- Dec 7, 2020FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
- Dec 3, 2020FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 212.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Case moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Dec 2, 2020CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 498.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Education and Labor discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 116-605, Part I.
- Sep 30, 2020CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States Discharged.
- Jul 3, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States.
- Jun 28, 2019FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Jun 27, 2019FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Apr 8, 2019CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 63.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Hoeven without amendment. With written report No. 116-28.
- Jan 29, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jan 24, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 905SenateSen. John HoevenR-ND· offered Jun 27, 2019Agreed to
To improve the Indian Economic Development Feasibility Study.
Jun 27, 2019: Amendment SA 905 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.