Ocmulgee Mounds Redesignation

Full Title:
Ocmulgee Mounds National Park Redesignation Act

Summary#

This bill renames the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park to the "Ocmulgee Mounds National Park." It says the new name should replace the old name in all federal references. The Secretary of the Interior can make technical corrections to the official park map and must keep the map available for public inspection.

The park will be run as a unit of the National Park System under the usual federal laws that apply to national parks. The Secretary must allow fishing in park waters subject to federal and state law, may set no-fishing zones or times for safety or wildlife reasons after consulting the State, and must not change state authority over fish and wildlife. The Secretary should try, when allowed by law, to increase hiring of members of Indian tribes in the park.

The bill requires protection of traditional cultural and religious sites in the park and provides access to those sites for members of Indian tribes with ancestral connections to the Ocmulgee River Corridor, following applicable laws and regulations. It allows the Secretary to make agreements, such as memoranda of understanding or cooperative agreements, with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and other tribes about managing and protecting natural and cultural resources, and to notify parties when other tribes seek similar agreements.

If the Muscogee (Creek) Nation requests it, the Secretary must take about 133.88 acres the Nation now holds in fee into trust for the Nation within 180 days. That land will become part of the Muscogee Creek Indian Reservation and be administered under rules that apply to trust lands. The bill says that land taken into trust cannot be used for class II or class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The bill was introduced in the House on June 24, 2026. Metadata shows subcommittee hearings have been held and the measure is in progress.

What it means for you#

  • The park name changes in federal records to "Ocmulgee Mounds National Park."
  • Fishing in park waters is allowed under federal and state law but could be limited in certain zones or times after State consultation.
  • Tribal members with ancestral ties to the Ocmulgee River Corridor have protected access to traditional cultural and religious sites, within applicable law.
  • The Muscogee (Creek) Nation can ask to have about 133.88 acres taken into trust; if taken into trust, that land will be part of the Nation's reservation and cannot be used for class II or III gaming.
  • The National Park Service is directed to seek more employment opportunities for members of Indian tribes at the park when allowed by law.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on costs, funding sources, or budget estimates is included in the bill text or provided metadata.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.