U.S. Representative Nick J. Begich (R-Alaska) has set the record for the most sponsored bills passed by the House of any freshman member of Congress. A total of 14 bills penned by Rep. Begich have passed the U.S. House with six of those also passing the Senate and receiving the President’s signature, becoming law. Rep. Begich’s work largely focuses on Alaska Native land rights, energy, resource development, and military readiness. Here is a look at each of the 14 bills and what they do for Alaskans.
6 bills enacted into law
H.R. 2815 — Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025
Introduced by Rep. Begich on April 10, 2025, H.R. 2815 waives a statutory core township selection requirement for the Cape Fox Corporation— the Alaska Native village corporation for Saxman, Alaska— and allows Cape Fox to select lands outside its immediate township to fulfill its remaining land entitlement. The bill includes a selection by Cape Fox of approximately 180 acres of surface land within the Tongass National Forest. It directs the Department of the Interior to convey the selected federal land to Cape Fox as well as convey the subsurface estate of the federal land to Sealaska Corporation (the Alaska Native regional corporation representing southeastern Alaska).
The bill became law on May 19, 2026. The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.2815 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
H.R. 410 — Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 2025
Introduced by Rep. Begich on January 15, 2025, H.R. 410 extends the Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Program. Eligible Alaska Native veterans who served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam era, or their heirs, may apply for up to 160 acres of federal land in Alaska. The bill changes the application window from a 5-year period to a 10-year period, extending the deadline from December 29, 2025, to December 29, 2030.
The bill became law on December 26, 2025 (Public Law No. 119-63). The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.410 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 2025 | Congress.gov
H.R. 43 — Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025
Introduced by Rep. Begich on January 3, 2025, H.R. 43 amends the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act so village corporations are no longer required to reconvey land to the State of Alaska to be held in trust for future municipal governments. The change is intended to end a long-standing reconveyance mandate and leave those lands under village corporation control for local use and development.
The bill became law on July 7, 2025 (Public Law No. 119-23). The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.43 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025 | Congress.gov
H.R. 42 — Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act
Introduced by Rep. Begich on January 3, 2025, H.R. 42 provides that settlement trust payments to an Alaska Native who is elderly, blind, or disabled are not counted as income when determining eligibility for certain needs-based federal assistance programs, including SNAP. The bill aligns those trust payments with the treatment of other Alaska Native Corporation benefits.
The bill became law on July 7, 2025 (Public Law No. 119-22). The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.42 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act | Congress.gov
H.J.Res. 131 — Congressional disapproval of the BLM Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision
Introduced by Rep. Begich on October 10, 2025, H.J.Res. 131 provides for congressional disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code) of the Bureau of Land Management rule relating to the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision. The resolution disapproves the BLM decision that restricted oil and gas leasing on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The joint resolution became law on December 11, 2025 (Public Law No. 119-52). The full text can be found here: Text – H.J.Res.131 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) | Congress.gov
H.J.Res. 106 — Congressional disapproval of the BLM Central Yukon Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan
Introduced by Rep. Begich on July 14, 2025, H.J.Res. 106 provides for congressional disapproval under the Congressional Review Act of the Bureau of Land Management rule relating to the “Central Yukon Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan.” The resolution disapproves that Interior plan for a large area of Interior Alaska public land.
The joint resolution became law on December 11, 2025 (Public Law No. 119-50). The full text can be found here: Text – H.J.Res.106 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) | Congress.gov
8 bills passed House, now in Senate
H.R. 6021 — Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Clarification Act
Introduced by Rep. Begich on November 12, 2025, H.R. 6021 clarifies the treatment of authentic Alaska Native articles of handicraft, clothing, or art that contain nonedible migratory bird parts under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It provides that the MBTA does not prohibit possessing, selling, bartering, purchasing, shipping, or transporting such authentic articles so long as the bird was not taken in a wasteful or illegal manner, and it directs work with treaty partners to clarify that treatment.
The House passed the bill; the Senate received it on September 15, 2026, read it twice, and referred it to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.6021 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Clarification Act | Congress.gov
H.R. 6427 — Airport Regulatory Relief Act of 2025
Introduced by Rep. Begich on December 4, 2025, H.R. 6427 amends title 49, United States Code, to permit the use of State highway standards for airfield pavement construction and improvement at certain nonprimary airports that serve aircraft not exceeding 60,000 pounds gross weight, when the State gives notice and the FAA determines the standards will not negatively affect safety.
The House passed the bill; the Senate received it on March 25, 2026, read it twice, and referred it to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.6427 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Airport Regulatory Relief Act of 2025 | Congress.gov
H.R. 5131 — Public Lands Military Readiness Act of 2025
Introduced by Rep. Begich on September 4, 2025, H.R. 5131 extends military land withdrawals in Alaska, New Mexico, and California for 25 years and makes technical corrections to descriptions of certain withdrawals. It extends the withdrawal and reservation of the Yukon Training Area, Donnelly Training Area East and West in Alaska, and McGregor Range at Fort Bliss, New Mexico, until November 6, 2051, and extends Fort Irwin land in California until December 31, 2051.
The House passed the bill; the Senate received it on December 10, 2025, read it twice, and referred it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.5131 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Public Lands Military Readiness Act of 2025 | Congress.gov
H.R. 3903 — Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025
Introduced by Rep. Begich on June 11, 2025, H.R. 3903 authorizes, directs, and expedites a land exchange between Chugach Alaska Corporation and the United States. If Chugach offers to convey approximately 231,000 acres of subsurface estate, Interior is to accept that offer and convey approximately 65,374 acres of fee-simple federal land in the Chugach region, consolidating ownership related to oil-spill recovery program lands.
The House passed the bill; the Senate received it on March 4, 2026. The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.3903 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025 | Congress.gov
H.R. 3620 — Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025
Introduced by Rep. Begich on May 29, 2025, H.R. 3620 directs the conveyance of approximately 3.372 acres in Anchorage (Lot 1A, Block 36 East Addition, Anchorage Townsite Subdivision) to the Southcentral Foundation for use in connection with health and social services programs. The conveyance is to be by warranty deed, without consideration from the Foundation, without conditions imposed on the property, and without a U.S. reversionary interest.
The House passed the bill. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs reported it; on August 3, 2026, it was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders, Calendar No. 535. The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.3620 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act of 2025 | Congress.gov
H.R. 3176 — National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System reauthorization
Introduced by Rep. Begich on May 5, 2025, H.R. 3176 amends the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to reauthorize the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System, updating the authorization period (including USGS-related funding years 2026 through 2029 in the House-passed text).
The House passed the bill; the Senate received it on December 16, 2025, read it twice, and referred it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.3176 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) | Congress.gov
H.R. 1368 — DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act
Introduced by Rep. Begich on February 14, 2025, H.R. 1368 authorizes the Department of Energy and NASA to carry out cross-cutting collaborative research and development supporting both agencies’ missions, including areas such as nuclear propulsion and power, modeling and data systems, and shared research infrastructure, and requires a joint report to Congress.
The House passed the bill; the Senate received it on March 25, 2025, read it twice, and referred it to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.1368 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act | Congress.gov
H.R. 41 — Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act
Introduced by Rep. Begich on January 3, 2025, H.R. 41 addresses the omission of five Southeast Alaska Native communities—Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell—from eligibility under ANCSA. It authorizes Alaska Native residents of those communities to organize as Alaska Native urban corporations, receive specified settlement land, and have the subsurface estate conveyed to Sealaska, and it allows each urban corporation to establish a settlement trust.
The House passed the bill; the Senate received it on June 3, 2026. The full text can be found here: Text – H.R.41 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act | Congress.gov
