Rokita's Bipartisan, Pro-Business, Pro-Sovereignty Bill Passes House, Third Bill to Pass This Year

Statement

Representative Todd Rokita (IN-04) issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 511, the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act, a bipartisan bill he introduced in January. The Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act will prevent the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from exerting jurisdiction over tribal government businesses operating on tribal lands:

"It is not the National Labor Relations Board's place to impinge upon the employment preferences of sovereign tribes, just as it is not able to do so with state and local governments. Tribal governments alone, accountable to their tribal members and employees, should decide the labor practices for the entities they own on their own lands, just as state and local governments can now do under the NLRA. Drawing this line in statute not only helps tribal government, it also helps remind the executive branch of the sovereignty of state and local governments," said Rep. Rokita.

H.R. 511 ends the NLRB's unnecessary and excessive overreach by allowing tribes to carry out government functions and determine their own labor ordinances.

"In essence, this legislation protects the constitutional principle that Native American tribal governments are sovereign governments, just like other state and local governments. I thank my colleagues in the House for supporting this commonsense, bipartisan measure and urge the Senate to pass this legislation," added Rokita.

The bill passed 249 to 177.

Source