House committee hears bill to create statutory process for Oregon tribes to seek retrocession from Public Law 280

The House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans held a public hearing April 22, 2025, on Senate Bill 1011, which would create a statutory process for a federally recognized Indian tribe in Oregon to request that the governor seek retrocession of Public Law 280 jurisdiction to the federal government.

Supporters said the bill is a procedural measure to provide clarity and respect for tribal sovereignty. State Senator Anthony Broadman, who sponsored the measure in the Senate, said SB 1011 would give tribes a predictable, government‑to‑government pathway to return jurisdiction assumed under Public Law 280 (PL 280) rather than rely on informal requests to the governor.

The bill would not itself expand or remove jurisdiction, Broadman said: it establishes a process. Representative Emily McIntyre noted the bill was discussed by the Legislative Commission on Indian Services and described SB 1011 as “laying the groundwork” for future work. Corine Sams, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees, told the committee a statutory pathway would create…