This bill gives Native American tribes the tools and federal support they need to bring buffalo back to their lands and manage them for cultural, spiritual, and economic purposes. Historically, buffalo were central to Native American life for centuries before being hunted to near extinction in the 1800s. This law recognizes that tribes still want to restore buffalo herds and reconnect with this important part of their heritage and way of life.

The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to work directly with tribes and tribal organizations to help them develop buffalo management programs. The federal government can now provide money through contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements to help tribes restore buffalo populations, set up meat processing facilities, and develop buffalo-related businesses. The government will also offer technical assistance to help tribes succeed in these efforts.

The law includes important protections for tribes: the government must consult with tribes about any federal decisions affecting buffalo, must respect tribal laws and management plans, and cannot share sensitive cultural or business information that tribes want to keep private. Tribes can also receive surplus buffalo from federal lands at no charge. The bill makes clear that nothing in it takes away any existing treaty rights tribes already have. This authority lasts for 7 years from when the law takes effect, after which Congress would need to renew it.