STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RECOGNITION OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES, the official text

S2509 2026 -- S 2509 ======== LC004555 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RECOGNITION OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES Introduced By: Senators Quezada, Thompson, Kallman, Acosta, Valverde, Mack, Raptakis, Appollonio, Euer, and Famiglietti Date Introduced: February 06, 2026 Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled STATE AFFAIRS AND 2 GOVERNMENT is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 3 CHAPTER 169 4 RECOGNITION OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES 5 42-169-1. Petition for recognition. 6 A Native American tribe may petition the state for recognition by providing the house of 7 representatives with the following documentation: 8 (1) A statement of facts establishing that the tribe has been identified from historical times 9 until the present on a substantially continuous basis as American Indian or aboriginal ; 10 (2) Evidence that a substantial portion of the group inhabits a specific area or lives in a 11 community viewed as American Indian and that its members are descendants of an Indian tribe 12 which historically inhabited a specific area; 13 (3) Evidence that the tribe has maintained tribal political authority or influence over its 14 members as an autonomous entity throughout history until the present; 15 (4) A copy of the tribe s governing document, including membership criteria, or, if it does 16 not have a formal governing document, a description of its membership criteria and governing 17 procedures; 18 (5) An official membership list, any available former lists, and evidence that current 1 members descend from a historic tribe or tribes that combined into a single autonomous political 2 entity; 3 (6) Evidence that the tribe consists mainly of people who are not members of an 4 acknowledged North American Indian tribe; and 5 (7) A statement that the tribe is not the subject of the congressional legislation that has 6 terminated or forbidden the federal trust relationship (pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 7 108 (HCR 108) of 1953). 8 42-169-2. Legislative power. 9 The general assembly is granted the authority to forward a petition for state recognition to 10 the governor for enactment through legislation; provided, however, the general assembly has the 11 authority to impose restrictions on the following activities: 12 (1) Gaming licensure and/or permission to establish a casino; 13 (2) Creation of a state reservation or relinquishment of government land; and 14 (3) Approval for state sales tax-free economic development ventures. 15 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC004555 ======== LC004555 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RECOGNITION OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES *** 1 This act would provide a procedure for a Native American tribe to petition the state for 2 recognition. 3 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC004555 ======== LC004555 - Page 3 of 3