Quapaw Tribal Settlement Act of 2025

This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to pay a significant settlement amount to the Quapaw Nation and specific individual members. The payment of $137,500,000 is to be drawn from the Treasury and is based on a recommendation from the United States Court of Federal Claims in Congressional Reference Case No. 13-51X. A "Quapaw Bear Settlement Trust Account" will be established within the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Trust Funds Administration to receive these funds. The Secretary of the Interior is directed to transfer the single payment into this account, which will then be available for use and distribution according to the Claimants' plan. The bill outlines a structured process for developing this distribution plan, beginning with mandatory mediation . Within 45 days of the Act's enactment, Claimants must submit allocation and distribution issues to a mutually agreed-upon third-party mediator; if successful, the agreed plan is submitted to the Secretary for distribution. Should mediation fail to produce an agreement, or if no plan is agreed upon within 18 months, any Claimant may initiate a Secretarial Allocation process. In this scenario, the Secretary or their designee will conduct a hearing, receive proposals and briefs from Claimants, and issue a final decision determining the distribution plan. The Secretary is authorized to utilize the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service for technical support during these processes.