{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-nick-begichs-first-two-bills-pass-congress-headed-presidents-desk", "Congressman Nick Begich\u2019s First Two Bills Pass Congress, Headed to the President's Desk", "2025-06-20", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Nicholas J. Begich III", "B001323", "begich.house.gov", "begich", "https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 JUNE 20, 2025. \u2013 This week, Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) celebrated the Senate's passage of H.R. 42, the Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act, and H.R. 43, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025, marking a significant legislative victory for Alaska. The bills now head to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\n\n\u201cThese bills represent the kind of meaningful, nonpartisan work that Alaskans sent me here to do,\u201d said Congressman Begich. \u201cWe\u2019ve corrected longstanding federal issues that have held Alaska Native communities back, and we\u2019ve done it with strong support from both parties. Senator Murkowski was instrumental in advocating for these bills in the Senate since the 116th Congress and I am grateful for her efforts to help get these bills across the finish line in the Senate. These bills were about local decision-making and empowering communities to build their futures. My team and I have worked diligently since day one to move these bills through Congress, and I\u2019m honored to be one of the only freshmen of the 119th Congress to send legislation to the President\u2019s desk. This is a major victory for Alaskans, and a strong step forward towards greater self-determination and opportunity for Alaska Natives.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith two bills now headed to President Trump\u2019s desk, Representative Begich has shown he is a leader who is working for Alaska Natives and the state of Alaska. H.R. 42 and H.R. 43 will soon be signed into law because of the immediate effort Nick has shown since coming to Congress. I congratulate Mr. Begich on this success and look forward to continuing to work with him on the Natural Resources Committee,\u201d House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)\n\nH.R. 42 \u2013 Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act\n\nThis legislation ensures that payments from Alaska Native Corporation settlement trusts are not counted as income when determining eligibility for federal assistance programs. The change will protect vulnerable Alaska Natives - especially elders, the disabled, and the visually impaired from having to choose between essential benefits and long-standing trust support.\n\nH.R. 43 \u2013 Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025\n\nThis bill removes outdated land transfer requirements under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) that have blocked economic development in more than 80 Alaska Native villages. It returns approximately 11,500 acres of land to Native Village Corporations, empowering them to make decisions that support housing, infrastructure, and growth.\n\nCongressman Begich introduced both H.R. 42 and H.R. 43 on his first day in office. Their passage marks a significant early achievement in his tenure and delivers immediate benefits to communities across Alaska.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T01:08:28Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-nick-begichs-first-two-bills-pass-congress-headed-presidents-desk"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.734963919967413, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}