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Members praise tourism grants bill for Native communities but flag budget test
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Summary
Representative Case and others described H.R. 4276 as a tool to support Native Hawaiian and tribal tourism, jobs and cultural preservation; the chair noted the bill includes a $35 million authorization for FY2025–FY2029 but must be reconciled with House cut‑go rules before moving forward.
WASHINGTON — Members of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee described H.R. 4276 as a bipartisan effort to use tourism grants to support tribal and Native Hawaiian economic development and cultural preservation, while committee staff noted the bill’s funding authorization must meet House budget rules.
Representative Ed Case (D‑Hawaii) said H.R. 4276 — the House companion to a Senate bill from Senator Brian Schatz — would clarify agency authority to provide grants to tribes, tribal organizations and Native Hawaiian organizations for visitor experiences and related infrastructure. “Tourism provides Native communities with significant opportunities to share and preserve their cultures, create jobs, and strengthen local economies,” Case said.
The chair noted the draft bill carries a $35,000,000 authorization from fiscal 2025 through 2029 and that the text, as drafted, did not comply with the House cut‑go requirement; he said staff would need to address that issue before the bill advances.
Ranking Member Ledger Fernandez and Rep. Huffman endorsed the bill’s goals but emphasized that implementation requires funding for boots on the ground, staff and outreach so tribes can take advantage of the program. Committee members said they intend to work on technical corrections to ensure the law can be implemented as Congress intended.
No formal votes were held during the hearing; members asked witnesses for additional written information and left the record open for follow‑up.
