Contact Congress about H.R. 41: Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act

Native residents in five Southeast Alaska communities could form new Urban Corporations. Each corporation would receive about 23,040 acres, while public access and existing rights would stay under set rules.

Modern Action explains legislation in plain English, helps you choose whether to support, oppose, or ask for changes, and drafts a message tied to the bill, your stance, and the elected officials who can act on it.

Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act is a Senate bill awaiting final action. The latest recorded action: Received in the Senate.

Latest action on H.R. 41: Received in the Senate.

Who this affects: This bill mainly affects Alaska Native people tied to Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell. It could give them shareholder status, corporate rights, and a land base similar to other recognized Native communities. It also affects the Southeast Alaska Regional Corporation, the Forest Service, the State of Alaska, permit holders, mining claim holders, and people who use these lands for subsistence or recreation.

Why this matters: This bill matters because five Southeast Alaska Native communities were left out of parts of the original ANCSA system. It would give them a formal corporate structure, land, shareholder rights, and tools to support community programs. It could also change who controls and manages specific federal lands in the Tongass National Forest. The practical results would depend on how the new corporations, agencies, the state, and other rights holders manage the land after transfer.

Key provisions in H.R. 41

• Native residents of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell could form Urban Corporations. ANCSA is the Alaska Native land-claims law.
• The Interior Secretary must enroll eligible Native residents as shareholders in the new corporations. They would receive Settlement Common Stock, with special rules for inherited shares.
• Shareholders who join the new Urban Corporations would still get at-large regional payments. Those payments come from the Southeast Alaska Regional Corporation.
• Each new Urban Corporation would receive about 23,040 acres of mapped federal land. The Southeast Alaska Regional Corporation would receive the rights below the surface of those lands.
• Some Haines land at Slate Creek would transfer in two steps. The timing depends on existing federal mining claims and possible consent from Coeur Alaska Inc. or its successor.

How Modern Action helps you take action on H.R. 41

You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.

Questions people ask about H.R. 41

What is H.R. 41?

Native residents in five Southeast Alaska communities could form new Urban Corporations. Each corporation would receive about 23,040 acres, while public access and existing rights would stay under set rules.

How do I support or oppose H.R. 41?

Choose support, oppose, or ask for changes on Modern Action. The action flow drafts the message for you and keeps the wording tied to this bill.

Who should I contact about H.R. 41?

Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.

Can Modern Action explain H.R. 41 before I act?

Yes. Modern Action gives you a plain-English summary, current status, and action context before you send anything.