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S 673

Establishes the housing people and animals together grant program

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Monica Martinez

Adds Osceola Camp to the Miccosukee Reserved Area; requires the Interior (with Miccosukee consultation) to protect flood-prone structures within 2 years of enactment.

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Bill Summary · S 673

Summary — S.673: Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act

Status: Introduced Feb 20, 2025; referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs; reported favorably (S. Rept. 119–90) Oct 28, 2025 (Calendar No. 220). Companion: H.R. 504 (passed House July 14, 2025). Sponsors: Sen. Rick Scott (primary), Sen. Ashley Moody (cosponsor). (Some administrative records show other referrals/sponsors; primary Senate sponsors are Scott and Moody.)

Purpose

To amend the Miccosukee Reserved Area Act (MRAA) by formally adding the Osceola Camp to the Miccosukee Reserved Area (MRA) and to require the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Miccosukee Tribe, to take actions to protect structures in Osceola Camp from flooding.

Key provisions

  • Adds “Osceola Camp” to the statutory definition of the Miccosukee Reserved Area (MRA), referencing a map titled “Everglades National Park, Proposed Expansion – Miccosukee Reserved Area, Osceola Camp,” numbered 160/188443, dated July 2023. Copies must be available for public inspection at National Park Service offices and filed with Miami‑Dade County and the Tribe.
  • Amends section 8 of the MRAA to require the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Miccosukee Tribe, to “take appropriate actions to protect structures within the area described in section 4(4)(C) from flooding” no later than two years after enactment.
  • Leaves substantive implementation choices (what measures are “appropriate”) to the Secretary, but mandates Tribal consultation.

Who is affected

  • Miccosukee Tribe: Osceola Camp would become part of the MRA and thereby subject to the Tribe’s rights, responsibilities, and restrictions under the MRAA (including treatment as “Indian Country” under prior statute).
  • Department of the Interior / National Park Service: directed to implement flood‑protection measures and maintain related maps/files.
  • Miami‑Dade County: receives map filings; local planning/coordination implications.
  • Federal restoration programs (CERP/CEPP) and Everglades management may be implicated due to water‑management interaction with the Camp.

Timeline & procedural notes

  • Implementation deadline: Secretary must act within 2 years of enactment.
  • Legislative history includes prior, similar measures (e.g., S.2783 in the 118th Congress) and a House companion (H.R.504).
  • CBO estimate: existing National Park Service efforts likely satisfy the bill’s requirements; CBO expects insignificant federal costs over 2025–2030, subject to appropriations.

Context and potential impacts

  • Osceola Camp is a residential village within Everglades National Park used by Miccosukee families; flooding has increased due to regional restoration projects (CERP/CEPP). The bill formalizes the Camp’s inclusion in the MRA and compels federal action to mitigate flood risks to Tribal structures.
  • The bill does not specify technical solutions (elevation, drainage, etc.); those will be determined through DOI/NPS planning in consultation with the Tribe.
  • Because the MRAA previously provided that costs for restoration/protection would be borne by the federal government in some circumstances, extending the MRA could affect how costs and responsibilities are allocated in connection with Everglades restoration work.

Related legislation

  • H.R. 504 (House companion) — passed House July 14, 2025.
  • Prior similar Senate measure: S.2783 (118th Congress).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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