S. 249 would authorize the Pueblo of Santa Clara and the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo to lease tribal lands for up to 99 years. In general, under current law, the tribes can lease tribal lands to schools, businesses, and public entities for up to 25 years.
CBO estimates that implementing S. 249 would have no effect on the federal budget because any additional proceeds from such leases would accrue to the owners of the land. Enacting S. 249 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 249 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
S. 249 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The Pueblo of Santa Clara and the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo would benefit from provisions in the bill allowing the tribes to lease land for up to 99 years, regardless of the trust status of the land.