The bill proposes an amendment to Title 42 of the General Laws, specifically adding a new chapter titled "RECOGNITION OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES." This new chapter would officially recognize the Seaconke Wampanoag tribe as a Native American Indian tribe within the State of Rhode Island. The recognition is for limited purposes, which include assisting the tribe in establishing eligibility for federal education, job training, and housing benefits, federal protection for the sale of artwork, qualifying for grants, engaging in traditional religious practices and ceremonies, preserving burial sites and artifacts, and ensuring that handicrafts made by tribal members can be sold as "Indian made."

The bill clarifies that this recognition does not extend beyond the purposes expressly stated, meaning it does not confer recognition for any other purposes, such as evidence of a state compact or state approval for the purposes of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. It also does not confer the right to conduct gambling, engage in the sale of motor fuels or tobacco, or acknowledge any claims to ancestral, tribal, or other lands. The act would take effect immediately upon passage.