H.R. 7269: Helping Our People Act of 2026
Sponsor
Emily Randall
Democrat · WA-6
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Jan 27, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Why it matters
Introduced on January 27, 2026, HR7269 would immediately change how the Puyallup Tribe of Indians can use a settlement-era trust fund and clarify that the Tribe remains eligible for future federal laws on the same basis as other federally recognized Tribes.
What the bill does not do is also important. The fact sheet includes no new dollar amount, no authorization of appropriations, no age-based eligibility, no penalty amount, and no deadline for withdrawals or approvals. This is a targeted legal fix: it updates one settlement statute from 1989 and ties trust-fund withdrawals to the federal process established in 1994, while reaffirming equal treatment with other federally recognized Tribes under future federal law.
What does H.R. 7269 do?
Lets Puyallup withdraw trust funds under 1994 law
The bill amends Section 6(b) of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Act of 1989, Public Law 101–41; 103 Stat. 87, to allow the Puyallup Tribe of Indians to withdraw amounts from the trust fund for Tribal members.
Requires Secretary-approved management plan
Any withdrawal must be made pursuant to the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. 4001 et seq., and must follow a management plan approved by the Secretary under that Act.
Adds new Section 14 savings provision
The bill amends the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Act of 1989, Public Law 101–41; 103 Stat. 83, by adding a new Section 14 titled 'Savings provision.'
Protects access to federal laws enacted after 1989
New Section 14 states that nothing in the 1989 Act prevents the United States from engaging with the Tribe, on the same basis as other federally recognized Indian Tribes, under any federal law enacted after the date of enactment of that Act.
No new money, deadline, or penalties specified
The fact sheet provides no funding amount, no authorization of appropriations, no deadline for trust-fund withdrawals, and no civil or criminal penalty amount; the bill is focused on statutory access and legal clarification rather than new spending or enforcement.
Who benefits from H.R. 7269?
Puyallup Tribe of Indians
The Tribe gains express authority to withdraw amounts from the trust fund under amended Section 6(b) of the 1989 settlement law, so long as it complies with the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. 4001 et seq., and secures a Secretary-approved management plan.
Puyallup Tribal members
Because Section 2(a) addresses a permanent trust fund for Tribal members, members could benefit if the Tribe uses the newly clarified withdrawal authority to access funds that were previously locked behind older statutory language from Public Law 101–41.
Future Puyallup participants in federal tribal programs
The new Section 14 savings provision says the United States may engage with the Tribe on the same basis as other federally recognized Indian Tribes under any federal law enacted after the 1989 Act, helping protect access to later-created opportunities.
Other federally recognized Tribes as a benchmark group
The bill reinforces parity by explicitly using other federally recognized Indian Tribes as the comparison standard, making clear the Puyallup Tribe should not be treated as outside the normal federal-tribal framework because of a 1989 settlement act.
Who is affected by H.R. 7269?
Department of the Interior
Interior would be involved because withdrawals must follow the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 and require a management plan approved by the Secretary.
The Secretary
The Secretary is directly affected because the bill makes Secretary approval of a management plan a condition for trust-fund withdrawals under 25 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.
United States government
The federal government is affected by the new Section 14 rule stating that nothing in the Puyallup settlement law prevents the United States from engaging with the Tribe under any federal law enacted after the date of enactment of the 1989 Act.
Administrators of the Puyallup settlement trust fund
Anyone managing or overseeing the trust fund would need to operate under the revised Section 6(b) language, which now allows withdrawals but only through the process set by the 1994 trust fund management law and a Secretary-approved plan.
H.R. 7269 Common Questions
Can the Puyallup Tribe withdraw money from its settlement trust fund under HR7269?
Yes. Under the Helping Our People Act of 2026 (SEC. 2(a)), amounts in the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Trust Fund may be withdrawn by the Tribe.
Does HR7269 require Interior Secretary approval before the Puyallup Tribe can withdraw trust funds?
Yes. Under the Helping Our People Act of 2026 (SEC. 2(a)), withdrawals must follow a management plan approved by the Secretary under the 1994 trust fund law.
Which federal law would govern Puyallup trust fund withdrawals under HR7269?
According to HR7269 SEC. 2(a), withdrawals must be made under the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.
Can Puyallup trust fund money be withdrawn for Tribal members under the Helping Our People Act of 2026?
Yes. Under the Helping Our People Act of 2026 (SEC. 2(a)), the Tribe may withdraw amounts from the settlement trust fund for Tribal members, subject to the required approved plan.
Does HR7269 create a savings provision for the Puyallup Tribe?
Yes. According to HR7269 SEC. 2(b), the bill adds a new Section 14 titled "Savings provision" to the 1989 Puyallup settlement law.
Can the federal government engage with the Puyallup Tribe under future federal Indian laws the same as other tribes?
Yes. Under the Helping Our People Act of 2026 (SEC. 2(b)), nothing in the 1989 Act bars the United States from engaging with the Tribe on the same basis as other federally recognized Tribes under later-enacted federal laws.
What are the rights of the Puyallup Tribe under federal laws passed after the 1989 settlement act?
According to HR7269 SEC. 2(b), the Tribe remains eligible to engage with the United States under any federal law enacted after the 1989 Act on the same basis as other federally recognized Tribes.
Does the Helping Our People Act of 2026 give the Puyallup Tribe equal treatment with other federally recognized tribes?
Yes. Under the Helping Our People Act of 2026 (SEC. 2(b)), the United States may engage with the Puyallup Tribe on the same basis as other federally recognized Indian Tribes under future federal law.
Does HR7269 set a deadline for the Puyallup Tribe to withdraw trust funds?
No. According to the bill summary for HR7269, it specifies no deadline for trust-fund withdrawals; the operative change is the withdrawal process in SEC. 2(a).
How much new funding does HR7269 provide for the Puyallup Tribe?
None stated. The Helping Our People Act of 2026 does not provide a new dollar amount or authorization of appropriations; it focuses on trust-fund access and legal status in SEC. 2.
Based on H.R. 7269 bill text
HR7269 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Jan 27, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
About the Sponsor
Emily Randall
Democrat, Washington's 6th congressional district · 1 years in Congress
Committees: Natural Resources, Oversight and Government Reform
View full profile →
Cosponsors (1)
This bill has 1 cosponsor: 1 Democrat. Cosponsors represent 1 state: Washington.
Committee Sponsors
Natural Resources Committee
0 of 43 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
19 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 7269 change?
1 changes
Sections Amended
Section 6(b) of Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Act of 1989 (Public Law 101-41; 103 Stat. 87)
adding at the end the following: ``(6) Amounts in the trust fund may be withdrawn by the Tribe pursuant to the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 (25 U
H.R. 7269 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Natural Resources
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Native Americans
- Introduced
- Jan 27, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Jan 27, 2026
Official Sources
Official Congress.gov page for the Helping Our People Act of 2026, with bill text, actions, and status.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is the core Interior agency for federal tribal relations and is relevant because the bill affects a tribal settlement trust fund and federal engagement with the Tribe.
Interior's trust-management office is relevant because the bill ties withdrawals to a federally approved trust fund management process.
Official statutory text for the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994, the federal law HR7269 expressly incorporates for withdrawals.
The Secretary referenced in the bill is the Secretary of the Interior, whose department would oversee approval of any management plan.
Official Federal Register notice on federally recognized tribes, relevant to the bill's savings provision guaranteeing the Puyallup Tribe equal footing with other federally recognized tribes.
Official repository for enrolled public laws, useful for locating the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Act of 1989 and related statutory materials referenced in HR7269.
H.R. 7269 Bill Text
“To amend the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Act of 1989 to clarify that amounts in the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Trust Fund may be withdrawn by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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