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S 236 · in committee · niche

A bill to amend the Act of August 9, 1955 (commonly known as the "Long-Term Leasing Act"), to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land in the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation and land held in trust for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), and for other purposes.

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A bill to amend the Act of August 9, 1955 (commonly known as the "Long-Term Leasing Act"), to authorize leases of up to 99 years for land in the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation and land held in trust for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), and for other purposes.

What this bill does

  • The bill allows two Wampanoag tribes in Massachusetts to lease their federally-held land for up to 99 years instead of shorter terms.
  • The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) can enter longer lease agreements with tenants.
  • The change amends the 1955 Long-Term Leasing Act to extend the maximum lease duration for these tribes' trust lands.

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Community Threads

Started by Cosponsor

  1. 01

    How might extending lease terms from current limits to 99 years affect the Wampanoag tribes' ability to generate revenue and plan long-term economic development?

  2. 02

    What safeguards exist to ensure that longer leases do not disadvantage tribal members or limit future generations' control over reservation land?

  3. 03

    How does this change compare to lease authority available to other tribes or to non-tribal landowners in Massachusetts?

Cosponsor writes these to seed civic discussion — they aren't user posts. Sign in to reply.

Sponsor · D-MA

Edward J. Markey

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Introduced 2025-12-17

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Legislative timeline

  1. 2025-12-17 · senate · Committee

    Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.

  2. 2025-01-23 · senate · IntroReferral

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

  3. 2025-01-23 · IntroReferral

    Introduced in Senate

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