Land trust for 19 Pueblos

Full Title:
Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025

Summary#

This bill would transfer about 9.89 acres of federal land in Albuquerque (three small tracts that were part of the historic Albuquerque Indian School) into trust for 19 New Mexico Indian Pueblos. The Department of the Interior would hold the land in trust for the Pueblos and the land must be used for educational, health, cultural, business, and economic development purposes. The bill also prohibits Class I, II, and III gaming on the transferred land.

  • Main change: General Services Administration (GSA) would transfer administrative control of the three tracts to the Interior Secretary, who would then hold title in trust for the 19 Pueblos.
  • Who the 19 Pueblos are: Acoma; Cochiti; Isleta; Jemez; Laguna; Nambe; Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan); Picuris; Pojoaque; San Felipe; San Ildefonso; Sandia; Santa Ana; Santa Clara; Santo Domingo; Taos; Tesuque; Zia; and Zuni.
  • Timing and condition: Transfer must occur no later than 90 days after enactment and after all federal tenants are relocated.
  • Survey requirement: The Interior Secretary must obtain and record a land survey in Bernalillo County and may make minor corrections for clerical or surveying errors.
  • Limits on the land: Existing private or municipal easements, rights-of-way, restrictions, and utility agreements in effect on the enactment date remain in place. A right-of-way easement for retrieving or relocating federal property will apply to Tract 1 as determined by GSA.

What it means for you#

  • 19 Pueblos / Tribal communities

    • The three tracts would be held in trust by the federal government for their benefit.
    • The land is explicitly to be used for education, health, cultural, business, and economic development by the Pueblos.
    • Gaming is expressly prohibited on these tracts.

  • Federal agencies (GSA and Department of the Interior)

    • GSA must relocate any federal tenants before transfer and then transfer administrative jurisdiction to Interior.
    • Interior must receive the land into trust, obtain and record a survey, and may correct minor survey or title errors.

  • Local government and private parties

    • Any private or municipal easements, rights-of-way, restrictions, or utility agreements already on the land remain effective after the transfer.
    • The required survey will be recorded in Bernalillo County public records, which may change how the parcels are described in county records.

  • Federal tenants on the property

    • They must be relocated before the land is transferred into trust. The bill does not detail relocation timing beyond the 90‑day transfer window after enactment and relocation.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

  • The bill does not include a fiscal note or cost estimate in the supplied material.
  • This could mean there will be administrative costs for GSA and Interior to relocate tenants, perform the transfer, and complete the survey, but the bill text does not provide dollar amounts or a funding source.
  • The bill does not state whether any change in local tax treatment or municipal revenue will occur; this could have local budget implications, but the text does not address them.

Proponents' View#

  • The bill appears intended to return land that was part of the Albuquerque Indian School to the listed Pueblos for their use and benefit.
  • Supporters may argue this would provide space for education, health, cultural preservation, and economic development for the Pueblos.
  • Recording an updated survey and transferring title into trust clarifies legal ownership and allows the land to be managed under federal trust rules for Indian land in New Mexico.

Opponents' View#

  • One concern is that the bill does not include fiscal details or a cost estimate, so the budget impact on federal agencies and local governments is unclear.
  • The bill allows GSA-determined easements on Tract 1 for retrieving federal property, which could limit Pueblo use of that tract; the exact scope of that easement is not specified.
  • It is unclear how relocation of federal tenants will be handled, how long the relocation process will take in practice, and who will pay relocation costs.
  • The bill permits the Secretary to make minor corrections to the survey and legal description; the process and limits of those corrections are not fully detailed.