(5) An agricultural resources intern shall be required
to report for service with the Bureau of Indian Affairs
or other bureau or agency sponsoring his internship, or
to a designated work site, during any break in attendance
at school of more than 3 weeks duration. Time spent in
such service shall be counted toward satisfaction of the
intern’s obligated service agreement under paragraph (4).
(b) COOPERATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM.—(1) The
Secretary shall maintain, through the Bureau, a coopera-
tive education program for the purpose, among other
things, of recruiting Indian students who are enrolled in
secondary schools, tribally controlled community colleges,
and other postsecondary or graduate schools, for employ-
ment in professional agricultural or natural resource relat-
ed positions with the Bureau or other Federal agency pro-
viding Indian agricultural or natural resource related serv-
ices.
(2) The cooperative educational program under para-
graph (1) shall be modeled after, and shall have essentially
the same features as, the program in effect on the date
of enactment of this Act pursuant to chapter 308 of the
Federal Personnel Manual of the Office of Personnel Man-
agement.
(3) The cooperative educational program shall in-
clude, among others, the following:
(A) The Secretary shall continue the established
specific programs in agriculture and natural re-
sources education at Southwestern Indian Poly-
technic Institute (SIPI) and at Haskell Indian Jun-
ior College.
(B) The Secretary shall develop and maintain a
cooperative program with the tribally controlled com-
munity colleges to coordinate course requirements,
texts, and provide direct technical assistance so that
a significant portion of the college credits in both
the Haskell and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic
Institute programs can be met through local pro-
gram work at participating tribally controlled com-
munity colleges.
(C) Working through tribally controlled commu-
nity colleges and in cooperation with land grant in-
stitutions, the Secretary shall implement an informa-
tional and educational program to provide practical
training and assistance in creating or maintaining a
successful agricultural enterprise, assessing sources
of commercial credit, developing markets and other
subjects of interest to the rural community.
(D) Working through tribally controlled com-
munity colleges and in cooperation with land grant
institutions, the Secretary shall implement research
activities to improve the basis for determining ap-
propriate management measures to apply to Indian
resource management.
(4) Under the cooperative agreement program under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall pay, by reimbursement
or otherwise, all costs for tuition, books, and fees of an
Indian student who—
(A) is enrolled in a course of study at an edu-
cation institution with which the Secretary has en-
tered into a cooperative agreement; and
(B) is interested in a career with the Bureau,
an Indian tribe or a tribal enterprise in the manage-
ment of Indian rangelands, farmlands, or other nat-
ural resource assets.
(5) A recipient of assistance under the cooperative
education program under this subsection shall be required
to enter into an obligated service agreement with the Sec-
retary to serve as a professional in an agricultural natural
resource related activity with the Bureau, or other Federal
agency providing agricultural or natural resource related
services to Indians or Indian tribes, or an Indian tribe for
1 year for each year for which the Secretary pays the re-
cipients educational costs pursuant to paragraph (3).
(c) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.—(1) The Secretary is
authorized to grant scholarships to Indians enrolled in ac-
credited agriculture related programs for postsecondary
and graduate programs of study as full-time students.
(2) A recipient of a scholarship under paragraph (1)
shall be required to enter into an obligated service agree-
ment with the Secretary in which the recipient agrees to
accept employment for one year for each year the recipient
received a scholarship, following completion of the recipi-
ents course of study, with—
(A) the Bureau or other agency of the Federal
Government providing agriculture or natural re-
source related services to Indians or Indian tribes;
(B) an agriculture or natural resource program
conducted under a contract, grant, or cooperative
agreement entered into under the Indian Self-Deter-
mination and Education Assistance Act; or
(C) a tribal agriculture or natural resource re-
lated program.
(3) The Secretary shall not deny scholarship assist-
ance under this subsection solely on the basis of an appli-
cant’s scholastic achievement if the applicant has been ad-
mitted to and remains in good standing in an accredited
post secondary or graduate institution.
(d) EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall
conduct, through the Bureau, and in consultation with
other appropriate local, State and Federal agencies, and
in consultation and coordination with Indian tribes, an ag-
ricultural resource education outreach program for Indian
youth to explain and stimulate interest in all aspects of
management and careers in Indian agriculture and natu-
ral resources.
(e) ADEQUACY OF PROGRAMS.—The Secretary shall
administer the programs described in this section until a
sufficient number of Indians are trained to ensure that
there is an adequate number of qualified, professional In-
dian natural resource managers to manage the Bureau
natural resource programs and programs maintained by
or for Indian tribes.
SEC. 202. POSTGRADUATION RECRUITMENT, EDUCATION
AND TRAINING PROGRAMS.
(a) ASSUMPTION OF LOANS.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish and maintain a program to attract Indian profes-
sionals who are graduates of a course of postsecondary
or graduate education for employment in either the Bu-
reau agriculture or natural resource programs or, subject
to the approval of the tribe, in tribal agriculture or natural
resource programs. According to such regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe, such program shall provide for
the employment of Indian professionals in exchange for
the Secretary’s assumption of the employee’s outstanding
student loans. The period of employment shall be deter-
mined by the amount of the loan that is assumed.
(b) POSTGRADUATE INTERGOVERNMENTAL INTERN-
SHIPS.—For the purposes of training, skill development
and orientation of Indian and Federal natural resource
management personnel, and the enhancement of tribal and
Bureau natural resource programs, the Secretary shall es-
tablish and actively conduct a program for the cooperative
internship of Federal and Indian natural resource person-
nel. Such program shall—
(1) for agencies within the Department of the
Interior—
(A) provide for the internship of Bureau
and Indian natural resource employees in the
natural resource related programs of other
agencies of the Department of the Interior, and
(B) provide for the internship of natural
resource personnel from the other Department
of the Interior agencies within the Bureau, and,
with the consent of the tribe, within tribal natu-
ral resource programs;
(2) for agencies not within the Department of
the Interior, provide, pursuant to an interagency
agreement, internships within the Bureau and, with
the consent of the tribe, within a tribal natural re-
source program of other natural resource personnel
of such agencies who are above their sixth year of
Federal service;
(3) provide for the continuation of salary and
benefits for participating Federal employees by their
originating agency;
(4) provide for salaries and benefits of partici-
pating Indian natural resource employees by the
host agency; and
(5) provide for a bonus pay incentive at the
conclusion of the internship for any participant.
(c) CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING.—The
Secretary shall maintain a program within the Trust Serv-
ices Division of the Bureau and Indian natural resource
personnel which shall provide for—
(1) orientation training for Bureau natural re-
source personnel in tribal-Federal relations and re-
sponsibilities;
(2) continuing technical natural resource edu-
cation for Bureau and Indian natural resource per-
sonnel; and
(3) development training of Indian natural re-
source personnel in natural resource based enter-
prises and marketing.
SEC. 203. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DE-
PARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND INDIAN
TRIBES.
(a) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—
(1)(A) To facilitate the administration of the
programs and activities of the Department of the In-
terior, the Secretary is authorized to negotiate and
enter into cooperative agreements with Indian tribes
to—
(i) engage in cooperative manpower and
job training,
(ii) develop and publish cooperative envi-
ronmental education and natural resource plan-
ning materials, and
(iii) perform land and facility improve-
ments, and other activities related to land and
natural resource management and development.
(B) The Secretary may enter into agreements
when the Secretary determines the interest of Indi-
ans and Indian tribes will be benefited.
(2) In cooperative agreements entered into
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary is authorized
to advance or reimburse funds to contractors from
any appropriated funds available for similar kinds of
work or by furnishing or sharing materials, supplies,
facilities or equipment without regard to the provi-
sions of section 3324 of title 31, United States
Code, relating to the advance of public moneys.
(b) SUPERVISION.—In any agreement authorized by
this section, Indian tribes and their employees may per-
form cooperative work under the supervision of the De-
partment of the Interior in emergencies or otherwise as
mutually agreed to, but shall not be deemed to be Federal
employees other than for the purposes of sections 2671
through 2680 of title 28, United States Code, and sections
8101 through 8193 of title 5, United States Code.
(c) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this Act shall be
construed to limit the authority of the Secretary to enter
into cooperative agreements otherwise authorized by law.
SEC. 204. OBLIGATED SERVICE; BREACH OF CONTRACT.
(a) OBLIGATED SERVICE.—Where an individual en-
ters into an agreement for obligated service in return for
financial assistance under any provision of this title, the
Secretary shall adopt such regulations as are necessary to
provide for the offer of employment to the recipient of
such assistance as required by such provision. Where an
offer of employment is not reasonably made, the regula-
tions shall provide that such service shall no longer be re-
quired.
(b) BREACH OF CONTRACT; REPAYMENT.—Where an
individual fails to accept a reasonable offer of employment
in fulfillment of such obligated service or unreasonably
terminates or fails to perform the duties of such employ-
ment, the Secretary shall require a repayment of the fi-
nancial assistance provided, prorated for the amount of
time of obligated service that was performed, together with
interest on such amount which would be payable if at the
time the amounts were paid they were loans bearing inter-
est at the maximum legal prevailing rate, as determined
by the Treasurer of the United States.
TITLE III—GENERAL
PROVISIONS
SEC. 301. REGULATIONS.
Except as otherwise provided by this Act, the Sec-
retary is directed to promulgate final regulations for the
implementation within 18 months from the date of enact-
ment of this Act. All regulations promulgated pursuant
to this Act shall be developed by the Secretary with the
participation of the affected Indian tribes.
SEC. 302. TRUST RESPONSIBILITY.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to diminish
or expand the trust responsibility of the United States to-
ward Indian trust lands or natural resources, or any legal
obligation or remedy resulting therefrom.
SEC. 303. SEVERABILITY.
If any provision of this Act, or the application of any
provision of this Act to any person or circumstance, is held
invalid, the application of such provision or circumstance
and the remainder of this Act shall not be affected there-
by.
SEC. 304. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums
as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.
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