Murray: “As a voice for Washington state’s Tribes, I will always fight to make sure our Tribes have a seat at the table and the support they need from the federal government.”
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Representatives Emily Randall (D, WA-06) and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10) in introducing the Helping Our People Act of 2026, or “kʷaxʷad tiiɫ ʔiišədčəɫ,” in the Native Twulshootseed language of the Puyallup Tribe. This bicameral legislation would allow the Puyallup Tribe to withdraw and directly manage its Permanent Trust — restoring Tribal self-determination and ensuring the funds are used as intended to benefit Tribal members.
“It is essential that we as a nation meet our obligations to our Tribes, and that includes honoring Tribal sovereignty and strengthening Tribal self-determination,” said Senator Murray. “Our new legislation will make a simple but important fix and cut red tape by allowing the Puyallup Tribe to directly manage its Permanent Trust for the benefit of Tribal members. As a voice for Washington state’s Tribes, I will always fight to make sure our Tribes have a seat at the table and the support they need from the federal government.”
“This legislation simply modernizes the 1989 Settlement Act to match today’s federal standards for Tribal trust management. This is a straightforward fix that brings an outdated statute into alignment with current federal practice. It cuts red tape, improves financial efficiency and ensures Tribal members, not overhead, receive the benefit of the fund,” said the Puyallup Tribal Council. “We thank Senator Cantwell, Senator Murray, Congresswoman Randall, and Congresswoman Strickland for their full support of our sovereignty and self-determination in the management of our trust funds.”
“This bill brings the Puyallup Tribe’s trust fund management in line with current federal policies, improves financial stewardship, and ensures revenues are benefitting the Tribal community,” said Sen. Cantwell.
“The Puyallup Tribe deserves the same authority as other Tribes to manage its own trust funds,” said Representative Randall. “By restoring control of Tribal finances, this bill advances self-determination for the Puyallup Tribe and honors Tribal sovereignty. This is about keeping our word and correcting a long-standing inequity.”
“Allowing the Puyallup Tribe to directly manage their Permanent Trust is long overdue,” said Representative Strickland. “This act affirms and recommits the Puyallup Tribe’s self-governance and sovereignty – now and into the future.”
In 1989, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Act established a $22 million Permanent Trust for the Tribe. However, the Trust has remained under the control of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), limiting the Tribe’s ability to manage and grow these funds for the benefit of its community.
The Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act (ITFMRA), enacted after the Puyallup settlement, allows Tribes to manage their own trust funds under a Department of the Interior–approved plan. This bill would correct a technicality that currently excludes the Puyallup Trust from the ITFMRA.
The Helping Our People (kʷaxʷad tiiɫ ʔiišədčəɫ) Act of 2026 is a step toward honoring Tribal sovereignty, promoting self-governance, and ensuring that long-standing federal commitments to Tribal Nations are fulfilled.
Senator Murray has always been a strong advocate for Washington state Tribes throughout her career in the U.S. Senate and has fought to prioritize the needs of Tribal communities in Washington state across government funding bills. Murray helped secure major investments for Tribal infrastructure, housing, energy, ecosystem restoration projects, and education in the Fiscal Year 2026 funding bills she passed into law.
The full bill text is available HERE.
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