Heinrich, Luján Announce Committee Passage of Legislation to Transfer a Portion of the Former Albuquerque Indian School Campus to Pueblos for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, announced the Committee passage of their Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2026, legislation that places portions of the former Albuquerque Indian School campus and buildings, currently managed by the General Services Administration (GSA), into trust for the benefit of the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico.

The legislation is led by Heinrich and cosponsored by Luján in the Senate and led by U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) and cosponsored by U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) in the House.

"Our legislation will help the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center expand its reach, create more economic opportunity, foster entrepreneurship, and support local small businesses," said Heinrich. "Those are important wins for the 19 Pueblos and everyone who calls New Mexico home. Now that my bill has passed out of Committee, I will continue working to get it across the finish line and signed into law."

"Expanding economic development and cultural education opportunities for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is critical for the 19 New Mexico Pueblos it serves. That is why I partnered with Senator Heinrich to introduce the Albuquerque Indian School Act, legislation that will help the center grow, support job creation, and generate new revenue for New Mexico's Pueblos and our communities,"said Luján, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. "I'm proud to see this legislation advance out of the Indian Affairs Committee, a vital step toward getting this bill across the finish line. I will continue working to ensure it passes the Senate and is signed into law."

The Albuquerque Indian School Act now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

The Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2026 builds upon a longstanding, bipartisan effort to transfer the former Albuquerque Indian School campus and surrounding buildings to the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico for the development and growth of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is a nationally recognized museum and cultural institution owned and operated by the Pueblos, dedicated to both preserving and perpetuating pueblo history, culture, and art, while facilitating their future economic growth and long-term economic sustainability.

The text of the bill is here.

Earlier this summer, Heinrich testified in support of the bill and urged his colleagues to advance the legislation out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. Watch the full video of Heinrich's testimony here.

In 2015, Heinrich, Luján, and the rest of the N.M. Delegation successfully passed into law the Albuquerque Indian School Land Transfer Act, legislation to place four tracts of land from the former Albuquerque Indian School into trust for the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, consolidating the last parcels of the old school property into the Albuquerque Indian School campus. This followed several prior bipartisan efforts, from 1969 to 2008, led by former U.S. Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), and former U.S. Representative Manuel Luján Jr. (R-N.M.).

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