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House panel hears tribal support for Streamline Act to shorten DOI appraisal delays
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Summary
Witnesses from the Quapaw Nation and other tribes urged the House subcommittee to pass the Streamline Act (H.R. 5696), saying authorizing USPAP‑compliant tribal appraisals and requiring Department of the Interior acceptance would reduce months‑long delays that block housing, leasing and environmental projects.
WASHINGTON — Witnesses appearing before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs on Nov. 17 urged lawmakers to advance H.R. 5696, the Streamline Act, saying it would cut lengthy federal appraisal delays and speed tribal economic and land stewardship projects.
Weena Supernaw, chair of the Quapaw Nation, testified that limited federal appraisal staff — in her region, only one BIA‑approved appraiser is available — has left tribal projects waiting months. “Our projects have sat idle for months awaiting an analysis we could have completed in 24 hours,” Supernaw said, adding that tribes with compacted realty programs can meet federal standards and should be recognized to reduce bottlenecks.
Representative Doug LaMalfa, sponsor of the Streamline Act, told the panel the bill stems from an April field hearing and a 2024 GAO report that flagged the Department of the Interior appraisal process as multilayered and slow. The measure would allow tribes with self‑governance and realty compacts to certify appraisals that comply with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and require DOI acceptance in lieu of separate federal appraisals.
Supporters told members that appraisal delays affect housing, agricultural leases and rights‑of‑way — sometimes costing tribal members opportunities and outside investment. Supernaw provided examples of sale‑of‑interest appraisals that took five to eight months and agricultural lease appraisals that took four to five months. She said faster, locally accountable appraisals would enable tribes to complete transactions, pursue development and manage environmental remediation more effectively.
Lawmakers from both parties asked about safeguards to ensure fair‑market valuation and whether the reforms would be available broadly to tribes. Witnesses said the bill ties acceptance to demonstrated tribal capacity and compliance with professional standards and that making the authority permanent would encourage more tribes to compact realty functions.
The committee did not hold a vote during the hearing. Members asked witnesses to submit written answers to additional questions; the hearing record was held open for 10 business days.
