S 621119th CongressIntroduced

A bill to accept the request to revoke the charter of incorporation of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota at the request of that Community, and for other purposes.

Introduced: Feb 18, 2025

Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-Minnesota)

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

S. 621 would formally accept the Lower Sioux Indian Community’s request to revoke the charter of incorporation that was issued to the community under the Indian Reorganization Act and ratified on July 17, 1937. If enacted, the charter of incorporation would be revoked. The bill does not lay out a new governing structure for the community in this text; it simply acknowledges and processes the dissolution of the incorporated charter. The action is a federal approval of a tribal request and would be implemented through an act of Congress.

Key Points

1The charter being revoked was issued under the Indian Reorganization Act, section 17 (25 U.S.C. 5124), and ratified July 17, 1937.
2The bill “accepts” the community’s request to surrender the charter and, once enacted, revokes the charter of incorporation.
3The bill’s text does not specify a replacement governance framework or detailed post-revocation steps; it only covers the revocation of the incorporation charter.
4The bill was introduced in the Senate (February 18, 2025), referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, and reported without amendment (October 14, 2025).
5The title indicates “and for other purposes,” but no additional provisions are included in the text presented.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota (the community whose incorporation charter would be revoked).Secondary group/area affected: The community’s members, and potentially the community’s lands and assets currently held under the chartered, incorporated status; federal-tribal government relations may be affected by the change in corporate status.Additional impacts: The revocation could lead to a shift from an incorporated, corporate governance structure to another form of tribal governance recognized by federal law (not specified in the bill). It may affect contractual, financial, or property arrangements tied to the charter and could require further administrative steps or regulatory actions not detailed in this bill. The bill does not modify existing federal recognition of the tribe beyond revoking the charter.

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