A key provision that was not included was Senator Smith’s bipartisan bill to make homeownership more accessible to Tribal communities, though she vowed to continue pushing and make progress.
Continue to push for bipartisan legislation to make homeownership more accessible to Tribal communities.
Occurrences
Expand an existing USDA pilot program, in partnership with Native Community Development Financial Institutions, to provide home loan assistance to Native American borrowers.
support homebuyers in Native communities
These bills would create easier pathways for homeownership in Native communities, improve the Indian Health System, and bolster self-governance agreements.
I’m glad to have him as a partner on this effort to expand the role Native CDFIs can play in helping families find a safe, stable place to call home.
Evidence
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Senator Smith’s bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act was included in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the first comprehensive housing supply legislation in 30 years.
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Senator Smith’s Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act, co-led with Senators John Thune, Mike Rounds, and Jon Tester, aims to accelerate the review and processing of mortgages on trust land.
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Senator Smith’s bipartisan Rural Housing Service Reform Act and Reducing Homelessness Through Program Reform Act were included in the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025, which passed the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Development Committee unanimously.
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Senators Smith and Rounds introduced the Native American Rural Homeownership Improvement Act to expand a USDA pilot program partnering with Native Community Development Financial Institutions to provide loans to Native borrowers.
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Senators Smith and Lummis introduced the Preserving Pathways to Homeownership Act to establish protections for consumers using land contracts, often utilized in Native communities.
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GovInfo lists S. 723, the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025, as an enrolled bill in the 119th Congress with last action date March 6, 2026.
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The White House says President Biden signed S. 723, the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025, into law on May 4, 2026, and describes it as establishing deadlines for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to process residential and business leasehold mortgages on trust or restricted Indian land.
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GovInfo identifies S. 723, the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025, as Public Law 119-88, approved May 4, 2026. The law requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs to process and complete mortgage packages for residential and business mortgages on Indian land by statutory deadlines, and its legislative history shows Senate passage on December 11, 2025 and House passage on March 3-4, 2026.
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GovInfo's reported Senate bill record for S. 723 says Mr. Thune introduced the bill for himself, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Rounds; it lists Tina Smith of Minnesota and Mike Rounds of South Dakota as cosponsors. The bill's title requires BIA to process and complete mortgage packages associated with residential and business mortgages on Indian land by certain deadlines.
Assessments
Smith promised to keep pushing bipartisan legislation to make homeownership more accessible to Tribal communities. S. 723, the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025, became Public Law 119-88 on May 4, 2026 during her Senate term. The law directly targets Tribal trust or restricted land mortgage processing by requiring BIA deadlines, and official bill records show Smith was part of the bipartisan Senate effort as a cosponsor/co-lead with Republican senators. That is enough candidate credit and direct policy delivery for full fulfillment.
The promise was to continue pushing bipartisan federal legislation to make homeownership more accessible to Tribal communities. Smith co-led the Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act, a bipartisan bill aimed directly at speeding mortgage processing on trust or restricted Indian land. The evidence shows S. 723 became enrolled and was signed into law in 2026 while Smith remained a U.S. Senator, which directly satisfies the promised outcome. Additional bipartisan housing bills and committee/Senate passage evidence reinforce sustained effort, but the enacted Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act is sufficient for full delivery.
Multiple pieces of evidence show Senator Smith consistently introduced, co-led, and passed bipartisan legislation in the Senate to improve homeownership access for Tribal communities. Legislative efforts included bills directly targeting trust land mortgage processing, land contract protections, and increased access to USDA lending programs. While these actions demonstrate significant and ongoing bipartisan effort, most are steps in the process (Senate passage, committee approvals, program expansions) and there is no clear evidence that comprehensive, final legislation specifically making homeownership more accessible to Tribal communities, as a fully realized bipartisan outcome, has been signed into law. Therefore, the promise to 'continue to push for bipartisan legislation' is partially fulfilled due to substantial attempts and legislative progress, but the ultimate effect or enactment of broad-based change has not been fully delivered.