mittee on Resources of the House of Representatives 
that describes the activities of the Commission. 
(2) CONTENT OF REPORTS.—Each report sub-
mitted under this subsection shall include, at a min-
imum, for the year that is the subject of the re-
port— 
(A) the number of documented petitions 
pending at the beginning of the year and the 
names of the petitioners; 
(B) the number of documented petitions 
received during the year and the names of the 
petitioners; 
(C) the number of documented petitions 
the Commission approved for acknowledgment 
during the year and the names of the acknowl-
edged petitioners; 
(D) the number of documented petitions 
the Commission denied for acknowledgment 
during the year and the names of the peti-
tioners; and 
(E) the status of all pending documented 
petitions on the date of the report and the 
names of the petitioners.
SEC. 14. ACTIONS BY PETITIONERS FOR ENFORCEMENT. 
Any petitioner may bring an action in the district 
court of the United States for the district in which the 
petitioner resides, or the United States District Court for 
the District of Columbia, to enforce the provisions of this 
Act, including any time limitations within which actions 
are required to be taken, or decisions made, under this 
Act. The district court shall issue such orders (including 
writs of mandamus) as may be necessary to enforce the 
provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 15. REGULATIONS. 
The Commission may, in accordance with applicable 
requirements of title 5, United States Code, promulgate 
and publish such regulations as may be necessary to carry 
out this Act. 
SEC. 16. GUIDELINES AND ADVICE. 
(a) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the first meeting of the Commission, the Commis-
sion shall make available to Indian groups suggested 
guidelines for the format of documented petitions, includ-
ing general suggestions and guidelines concerning where 
and how to research information that is required to be 
included in a documented petition. The examples included 
in the guidelines shall not preclude the use of any other 
appropriate format.
(b) RESEARCH ADVICE.—The Commission may, upon 
request, provide suggestions and advice to any petitioner 
with respect to the research of the petitioner concerning 
the historical background and Indian identity of that peti-
tioner. The Commission shall not be responsible for con-
ducting research on behalf of the petitioner. 
SEC. 17. ASSISTANCE TO PETITIONERS. 
(a) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services may award grants to Indian groups 
seeking Federal recognition as Indian tribes to en-
able the Indian groups to— 
(A) conduct the research necessary to sub-
stantiate documented petitions under this Act; 
and 
(B) prepare documentation necessary for 
the submission of a documented petition under 
this Act. 
(2) TREATMENT
OF
GRANTS.—The grants 
made under this subsection shall be in addition to 
any other grants the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services is authorized to provide under any 
other provision of law. 
(b) COMPETITIVE AWARD.—The grants made under 
subsection (a) shall be awarded competitively on the basis
of objective criteria prescribed in regulations promulgated 
by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
SEC. 18. PROTECTION OF CERTAIN PRIVILEGED INFORMA-
TION. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon the 
effective date of this Act, when responding to any requests 
for information on petitions and related materials filed by 
a group seeking Federal recognition as an Indian tribe 
pursuant to part 83 of title 25 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations, including petitions and related materials 
transferred to the Commission from the Department 
under section 5(a)(4), as well as related materials located 
within the Department that have yet to be transferred to 
the Commission, the Department and the Commission 
shall exclude materials identified by the petitioning group 
as information related to religious practices or sacred 
sites, and which the group is forbidden to disclose except 
for the limited purpose of Department and Commission 
review. 
SEC. 19. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) COMMISSION.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Commission to carry out this Act (other 
than section 17) such sums as are necessary for each of 
fiscal years 2006 through 2015.
(b) SECRETARY OF HHS.—There are authorized to 
be appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to carry out section 17 such sums as are nec-
essary for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2015. 
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