WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released the following statement today after the House passed the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act (H.R. 511). The legislation would restore the sovereignty of governments under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA):

“I congratulate Congressman Rokita and the House of Representatives in passing the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act with bipartisan support. As the sponsor of this legislation in the Senate, I anticipate a vote in the near future that will defend tribal government parity with all other governments. Because tribes are sovereign, our bills remove conditions on tribal labor that are not equally applicable to state and local governments. With this victory in the House, I encourage my colleagues to swiftly consider and pass this legislation in the Senate.”

Sen. Moran sponsors companion legislation in the Senate – the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act (S. 248). S. 248 passed the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on June 10, 2015.

This legislation is supported by the National Congress of American Indians and other tribal organizations, as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber said in a statement the bill would “prevent an unnecessary and unproductive overreach by the National Labor Relations Board into the sovereign jurisdiction of tribal governments.”

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