STREAMLINE ACT

This legislation aims to significantly improve Tribal self-governance by streamlining the process for Indian Tribes to acquire trust lands. It mandates the Secretary of the Interior to revise existing regulations to accept appraisals conducted by Tribes with established self-governance realty programs, rather than requiring Federal appraisals for these transactions. This change is intended to expedite land acquisitions and enhance Tribal authority over their real estate matters. For a Tribal appraisal to be accepted, the Indian Tribe must be operating under an Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) compact or funding agreement and have assumed responsibility for realty or land management functions, including appraisal authority. The land in question must be located within the Tribe's reservation boundaries or contiguous to existing trust lands, and the appraisal itself must conform to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice . This acceptance also satisfies the Secretary's fiduciary and trust responsibilities regarding valuation. The Department of the Interior's role in these cases will become ministerial, limited to confirming receipt and recordation of the Tribal certification, and relevant departmental manuals must be conformed to these new requirements. Furthermore, the bill includes provisions for transparency and evaluation, requiring the Secretary to track and publish processing times for different appraisal types and mandating a Comptroller General report within three years to assess the Act's impact on processing time, quality, and litigation, while explicitly stating it does not alter environmental or title review requirements.