Five Western Caucus Members Secure Unanimous House Passage for Their Bills

Washington, March 17, 2026 | Quinn Jenssen ((202) 738-0845)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the House of Representatives unanimously passed five bills sponsored by members of the Congressional Western Caucus.
  • H.R. 3073, the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Jurisdictional Clarity Act - Chair Celeste Maloy (UT-02)
  • H.R. 5729, the North Rim Restoration Act - Representative Eli Crane (AZ-02)
  • H.R. 6380, the Chiricahua National Park Act - Representative Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06)
  • H.R. 831, the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act - Representative Ken Calvert (CA-41)
  • H.R. 2709, the Save Our Sequoias (SOS) Act - Representative Vince Fong (CA-20)
“The passage of this bill brings necessary clarity for economic development on tribal land. It shows what can be achieved through thoughtful policymaking, solutions that both respect sovereignty and promote growth,” said Chair Celeste Maloy.

“The Grand Canyon is a special place, and I’m proud to lead efforts to ensure a timely recovery from last year’s Dragon Bravo Fire. Getting this recovery at the North Rim done right will strengthen gateway communities and enhance the visitor experience for generations to come,” said Congressman Eli Crane.

"The Chiricahua National Park Act honors one of southeastern Arizona’s most incredible natural treasures by giving Chiricahua National Monument a national park status," said Congressman Juan Ciscomani. "This redesignation will protect our public lands while also bringing more tourism to our region boosting economic development. I’m proud to introduce legislation that highlights what’s special about our region and reflects the unique priorities of Arizona.”

“I’m grateful for my House colleagues' support in passing the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act,” said Congressman Ken Calvert. “Providing additional resources for the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program at no cost to taxpayers will support one of our most important natural resources in the Southwest,” said Congressman Ken Calvert. “This bipartisan bill is a common-sense step that allows excess funds in the LCR MSCP to earn interest and maintain their effectiveness.”

“By passing my Save our Sequoias Act, the House has taken much-needed action to protect our ancient Sequoia groves in the Central Valley and return resilience to our forests,” said Congressman Vince Fong. “Our iconic Giant Sequoias are a true national treasure - we cannot afford to let burdensome regulations prevent us from safeguarding them. I thank my colleagues for supporting this important bipartisan bill and am hopeful the Senate will soon act so we can ensure California’s remaining Sequoias endure for generations to come.”

 
Legislative Digest
 
H.R. 3073, the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Jurisdictional Clarity Act
Sponsor: Chair Celeste Maloy (UT-02)
Co-sponsors: Kennedy (UT-03), Burgess (UT-04)
Summary: Due to a 2022 ruling from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the State courts in Utah do not have jurisdiction over civil cases on the Shivwits Band of Paiutes reservation, even when the tribe voluntarily waives its sovereign immunity. This creates uncertainty for any financial and economic partnerships or contracts which would normally be subject to State jurisdiction. By clarifying that Shivwits Band civil cases occurring within their tribal lands are subject to Utah state court jurisdiction, H.R. 3073 gives needed legal certainty to potential business partners of the tribe. Additionally, the bill extends the total amount of time that trust land can be leased from 25 years to 99 years (similar to H.R. 5910, sponsored by Vice Chair Harriet Hageman, which passed the House earlier this year).

H.R. 5729, the North Rim Restoration Act
Sponsor: Representative Eli Crane (AZ-02)
Co-sponsors: Gosar (AZ-09), Chair Maloy (UT-02), Biggs (AZ-05), Tiffany (WI-07), Hamadeh (AZ-08), Ciscomani (AZ-06)
Summary: Grants the use of emergency acquisition flexibilities for the recovery and rebuilding after the Dragon Bravo Fire. These flexibilities remove certain steps of the normal contracting process to expedite projects, and are typically available after a disaster. However, despite its significant damage to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, the Dragon Bravo Fire did not receive an emergency declaration or major disaster declaration, thus necessitating this legislation.

H.R. 6380, the Chiricahua National Park Act
Sponsor: Representative Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06)
Co-sponsors: Stanton (AZ-04)
Summary: Under the provisions of this legislation, the Chiricahua National Monument, named for a band of the Apache Native Americans, in Arizona would be redesignated as the Chiricahua National Park. The National Park Service would be required to protect cultural sites and allow access for cultural rites and ceremonies when requested.

H.R. 831, the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act
Sponsor: Representative Ken Calvert (CA-41)
Co-sponsors: Lee (NV-03), Titus (NV-01), Horsford (NV-04), Stanton (AZ-04), Ciscomani (AZ-06)
Summary: The Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program receives half of its funds from Federal appropriations, and half of its funds from a combination of  three of the lower Colorado River Basin states: California, Arizona, and Nevada. The program's available funds currently outpace the fish and migratory bird habitat conservation work it was authorized to complete. This legislation creates a special account at the U.S. Treasury to allow the current excess funds to bear an estimated $2 million in interest per year, and allows the funds contributed by states to be spent without the need for Federal appropriation.

H.R. 2709, the Save Our Sequoias (SOS) Act
Sponsor: Representative Vince Fong (CA-20)
Co-sponsors: Peters (CA-50), Costa (CA-21), Vice Chair Bruce Westerman (AR-04), Webster (FL-11), Panetta (CA-19), Chairman Emeritus Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Garamendi (CA-08), Valadao (CA-22), Bishop (GA-02), Correa (CA-46), Kim (CA-40), Rutherford (FL-05), Harder (CA-09), Vice Chair Jay Obernolte (CA-23), Golden (ME-02), McClintock (CA-05), Vargas (CA-52), Kiley (CA-03), Bera (CA-06), Calvert (CA-41), Horsford (NV-04), Issa (CA-48), Vice Chair Cliff Bentz (OR-02), Fulcher (ID-01), Moore (UT-01), Lee (NV-03), Fleischmann (TN-03), Gray (CA-13)
Summary: In the past four years, one-fifth of California’s iconic Giant Sequoia trees have been lost to forest fires. This legislation would codify existing emergency regulations within the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service to proactively manage the land around the trees. To better coordinate efforts between federal, state, and local authorities, the legislation would also officially establish the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition, which is an existing volunteer organization which already performs this work. The bill would also provide grants and facilitate private donations for Giant Sequoia forest management and expedite federal environmental reviews for these forests.

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