S. 1508 (119th)Bill Overview

Shivwits Band of Paiutes Jurisdictional Clarity Act

Native Americans|Federal-Indian relationsIndian lands and resources rights
Cosponsors
Support
Republican
Introduced
Apr 29, 2025
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief

The bill grants the State of Utah civil jurisdiction over civil causes of action involving the Shivwits Band of Paiutes that arise on or within Shivwits Indian lands.

It declares contracts and leases affecting those lands to fall within federal commerce/arising-under jurisdiction, giving federal courts jurisdiction over contract claims.

The bill states it does not abrogate the Tribe’s sovereign immunity and amends federal leasing statute to expressly include Shivwits trust land leasing authority.

Passage45/100

Narrow, low-cost, tribe-specific change increases prospects, but potential tribal-sovereignty objections and intergovernmental consent remain material obstacles.

CredibilityPartially aligned

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused substantive policy change that clearly states its purpose and contains specific statutory text to effect the jurisdictional change, but it provides limited implementation, fiscal, and oversight detail.

Contention54/100

Progressives emphasize tribal-sovereignty erosion; conservatives emphasize legal clarity.

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Who this appears to help vs burden50% / 50%
States · Federal agenciesStates · Federal agencies
Likely helped
  • StatesClarifies which state courts can decide civil disputes involving Shivwits tribal lands, reducing jurisdictional uncerta…
  • Federal agenciesFederal jurisdiction for contract disputes creates a uniform forum for contract and lease litigation.
  • Targeted stakeholdersIncluding Shivwits lands in the leasing statute may facilitate land leases and related economic development activity.
Likely burdened
  • StatesSubjecting tribal civil matters to state courts may be seen as reducing tribal self-governance authority.
  • StatesState jurisdiction could lead to increased litigation costs and procedural burdens for the tribe and members.
  • Federal agenciesPotential conflicts could arise between state law outcomes and federal trust obligations for Indian lands.
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Progressives emphasize tribal-sovereignty erosion; conservatives emphasize legal clarity.
Progressive25%

Likely suspicious and critical: views the measure as a potential erosion of tribal self-governance and jurisdictional sovereignty.

May acknowledge clearer legal forums and leasing authority but emphasizes tribal consent and rights.

Likely resistant
Centrist60%

Cautiously favorable to the clarity the bill provides for civil and contract jurisdiction, but concerned about legal-constitutional ambiguities and tribal consultation.

Wants safeguards, funding, and clear interplay with sovereign immunity.

Split reaction
Conservative75%

Generally supportive: values legal clarity, state-court access, and federal enforcement for contracts.

Sees benefits for businesses, residents, and accountability on tribal lands, while noting immunity language.

Leans supportive
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood45/100

Narrow, low-cost, tribe-specific change increases prospects, but potential tribal-sovereignty objections and intergovernmental consent remain material obstacles.

Scope and complexity
24%
Scopenarrow
24%
Complexitylow
Why this could stall
  • Whether the Shivwits Band officially supports the measure
  • Whether State of Utah negotiation or endorsement exists
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Progressives emphasize tribal-sovereignty erosion; conservatives emphasize legal clarity.

Narrow, low-cost, tribe-specific change increases prospects, but potential tribal-sovereignty objections and intergovernmental consent rema…

Unlocked analysis

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused substantive policy change that clearly states its purpose and contains specific statutory text to effect the jurisdictional change, but it provides limit…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

Perspective breakdownsPassage barriersLegislative design reviewStakeholder impact map
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