H. R. 3973

One Hundred Fourth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six

An Act

To provide for a study of the recommendations of the Joint Federal-State Commission

on Policies and Programs Affecting Alaska Natives.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF

POLICY.

The Congress finds and declares the following:

(1) The Joint Federal-State Commission on Policies and

Programs Affecting Alaska Natives (hereafter in this Act

referred to as the ‘‘Alaska Natives Commission’’) was established by Public Law 101–379 (42 U.S.C. 2991a note) following

the publication in 1989 of the ‘‘Report on the Status of Alaska

Natives: A Call for Action’’ by the Alaska Federation of Natives

and after extensive congressional hearings which focused on

the need for the first comprehensive assessment of the social,

cultural, and economic condition of Alaska’s 86,000 Natives

since the enactment of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement

Act, Public Law 92–203.

(2) The 14-member Alaska Natives Commission held 15

regional hearings throughout Alaska between July 1992 and

October 1993, and 2 statewide hearings in Anchorage coinciding

with the Conventions of 1992 and 1993 of the Alaska Federation

of Natives. In May 1994, the Alaska Natives Commission issued

its 3 volume, 440 page report. As required by Public Law

101–379, the report was formally conveyed to the Congress,

the President of the United States, and the Governor of Alaska.

(3) The Alaska Natives Commission found that many

Alaska Native individuals, families, and communities were

experiencing a social, cultural, and economic crisis marked

by rampant unemployment, lack of economic opportunity,

alcohol abuse, depression, and morbidity and mortality rates

that have been described by health care professionals as ‘‘staggering’’.

(4) The Alaska Natives Commission found that due to

the high rate of unemployment and lack of economic opportunities for Alaska Natives, government programs for the poor

have become the foundation of many village economies.

Displacing traditional Alaska Native social safety nets, these

well-meaning programs have undermined the healthy interdependence and self-sufficiency of Native tribes and families

and have put Native tribes and families at risk of becoming

permanent dependencies of Government.
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(5) Despite these seemingly insurmountable problems, the

Alaska Natives Commission found that Alaska Natives, building on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, had begun

a unique process of critical self-examination which, if supported

by the United States Congress through innovative legislation,

and effective public administration at all levels including traditional Native governance, could provide the basis for an Alaska

Native social, cultural, economic, and spiritual renewal.

(6) The Alaska Natives Commission recognized that the

key to the future well-being of Alaska Natives lay in—

(A) the systematic resumption of responsibility by

Alaska Natives for the well-being of their members,

(B) the strengthening of their economies,

(C) the strengthening, operation, and control of their

systems of governance, social services, education, health

care, and law enforcement, and

(D) exercising rights they have from their special

relationship with the Federal Government and as citizens

of the United States and Alaska.

(7) The Alaska Natives Commission recognized that the

following 3 basic principles must be respected in addressing

the myriad of problems facing Alaska Natives:

(A) Self-reliance.

(B) Self-determination.

(C) Integrity of Native cultures.

(8) There is a need to address the problems confronting

Alaska Natives. This should be done rapidly, with certainty,

and in conformity with the real economic, social, and cultural

needs of Alaska Natives.

(9) Congress retains and has exercised its constitutional

authority over Native affairs in Alaska subsequent to the Treaty

of Cession and does so now through this Act.

SEC. 2. ALASKA NATIVE IMPLEMENTATION STUDY.

(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds and declares that—

(1) the Alaska Natives Commission adopted certain

recommendations raising important policy questions which are

unresolved in Alaska and which require further study and

review before Congress considers legislation to implement solutions to address these recommendations; and

(2) the Alaska Federation of Natives is the representative

body of statewide Alaska Native interests best suited to further

investigate and report to Congress with proposals to implement

the recommendations of the Alaska Natives Commission.

(b) GRANT.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall

make a grant to the Alaska Federation of Natives to conduct the

study and submit the report required by this section. Such grant

may only be made if the Alaska Federation of Natives agrees

to abide by the requirements of this section.

(c) STUDY.—Pursuant to subsection (b), the Alaska Federation

of Natives shall—

(1) examine the recommendations of the Alaska Natives

Commission;

(2) examine initiatives in the United States, Canada, and

elsewhere for successful ways that issues similar to the

issues addressed by the Alaska Natives Commission have been

addressed;
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(3) conduct hearings within the Alaska Native community

on further ways in which the Commission’s recommendations

might be implemented; and

(4) recommend enactment of specific provisions of law and

other actions the Congress should take to implement such

recommendations.

(d) CONSIDERATION OF LOCAL CONTROL.—In developing its

recommendations pursuant to subsection (c)(4), the Alaska Federation of Natives shall give specific attention to the ways in which

the recommendations may be achieved at the local level with maximum local control of the implementation of the recommendations.

(e) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the date on which

the grant is made under subsection (b), the Alaska Federation

of Natives shall submit a report on the study conducted under

this section, together with the recommendations developed pursuant

to subsection (c)(4), to the President and the Congress and to

the Governor and legislature of the State of Alaska. In addition,

the Alaska Federation of Natives shall make the report available

to Alaska Native villages and organizations and to the general

public.

(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized

to be appropriated $350,000 for the grant under subsection (b).

(g) ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDING.—The Congress encourages the

State of Alaska to provide the additional funding necessary for

the completion of the study under this section.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.