The record

LegislationLegislation· Dec 2025
HR 165 Signed into law

Sponsored by Dusty Johnson (R)

Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act

Places about 40 acres at Wounded Knee into tribal ownership as a memorial and sacred site.

Tradeoff

Transfers federal control of the Wounded Knee massacre site to the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The land is protected from sale, state taxation, and commercial gaming.

What's in it

See official bill text

Federal implementation cost is less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period; no deficit impact.

The less-than-$500,000 federal cost is just administrative implementation; the policy's real impact is on state and local governments that lose approximately $100,000 in annual property tax revenue from the restricted land.

H.R. 165, Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act · Apr 2025

The House passed this 416-0 on January 22, 2025. The Senate passed it by on December 11, 2025, and it was signed into law.

  1. House

    Introduced

    (Jan 3, 2025)

  2. House

    Committee on Natural Resources(Jan 3, 2025)

  3. House

    On Motion to and Pass

    Passed(Roll #22 · Jan 22, 2025)

    416 yeanay 0

  4. Senate

    Received from the House

    on Indian Affairs(Jan 23, 2025)

  5. Senate

    The Committee on Indian Affairs voted to send it to the floor

    Reported(Mar 5, 2025)

    Committee report S. Rept. 119-72.

  6. Senate

    Passage of the bill

    Passed by (Dec 11, 2025)

    No individual votes were recorded.

  7. House

    Sent to the President

    (Dec 18, 2025)

  8. White House · Signature

    Signed

    Donald Trump (R)

  9. Enacted

    Became law(Dec 19, 2025)

Final passage· Jan 22, 2025· 119th Congress · 2025–2027