The bill amends Title 42 of the General Laws by adding a new chapter, Chapter 169, which establishes a formal process for Native American tribes to petition the state for recognition. To be recognized, a tribe must provide the House of Representatives with specific documentation, including: (1) a statement of facts establishing that the tribe has been identified from historical times until the present on a substantially continuous basis as "American Indian" or "aboriginal"; (2) evidence that a substantial portion of the group inhabits a specific area or lives in a community viewed as American Indian and that its members are descendants of an Indian tribe that historically inhabited a specific area; (3) evidence that the tribe has maintained tribal political authority or influence over its members as an autonomous entity throughout history until the present; (4) a copy of the tribe's governing document or, if it does not have one, a description of its membership criteria and governing procedures; (5) an official membership list, any available former lists, and evidence that current members descend from a historic tribe or tribes that combined into a single autonomous political entity; (6) evidence that the tribe consists mainly of people who are not members of an acknowledged North American Indian tribe; and (7) a statement that the tribe is not the subject of congressional legislation that has terminated or forbidden the federal trust relationship (pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 108 of 1953).

Additionally, the bill grants the General Assembly the authority to forward a petition for state recognition to the governor for enactment through legislation, while allowing the Assembly to impose restrictions on certain activities, including gaming licensure and/or permission to establish a casino, creation of a state reservation or relinquishment of government land, and approval for state sales tax-free economic development ventures. The act is set to take effect upon passage.