Title: Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act
Policy area: Native Americans

Summary:
Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act
This bill authorizes the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to assess sanitation and safety conditions on land set aside to provide Columbia River Treaty tribes access to traditional fishing grounds. The bill applies to land held by the United States for the benefit of the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.
The BIA may enter into contracts with tribes or tribal organizations to improve sanitation, safety conditions, and access to electricity, sewer, and water infrastructure on this land.
The Government Accountability Office must evaluate whether the sanitation and safety conditions on the lands have improved as a result of the contracts and report on the results of the evaluation.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 50 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 50

  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to assess sanitation and 
  safety conditions at Bureau of Indian Affairs facilities that were 
constructed to provide affected Columbia River Treaty tribes access to 
    traditional fishing grounds and expend funds on construction of 
 facilities and structures to improve those conditions, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 8, 2019

  Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Wyden, and Ms. Cantwell) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                      Committee on Indian Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to assess sanitation and 
  safety conditions at Bureau of Indian Affairs facilities that were 
constructed to provide affected Columbia River Treaty tribes access to 
    traditional fishing grounds and expend funds on construction of 
 facilities and structures to improve those conditions, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty 
Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. SANITATION AND SAFETY CONDITIONS AT CERTAIN BUREAU OF INDIAN 
              AFFAIRS FACILITIES.

    (a) Assessment of Conditions.--The Secretary of the Interior, 
acting through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, in consultation with the 
affected Columbia River Treaty tribes, may assess current sanitation 
and safety conditions on lands held by the United States for the 
benefit of the affected Columbia River Treaty tribes, including all 
permanent Federal structures and improvements on those lands, that were 
set aside to provide affected Columbia River Treaty tribes access to 
traditional fishing grounds--
            (1) in accordance with the Act of March 2, 1945 (59 Stat. 
        10, chapter 19) (commonly known as the ``River and Harbor Act 
        of 1945''); or
            (2) in accordance with title IV of Public Law 100-581 (102 
        Stat. 2944).
    (b) Exclusive Authorization; Contracts.--The Secretary of the 
Interior, acting through the Bureau of Indian Affairs--
            (1) subject to paragraph (2)(B), shall be the only Federal 
        agency authorized to carry out the activities described in this 
        section; and
            (2) may delegate the authority to carry out activities 
        described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (d)--
                    (A) through one or more contracts entered into with 
                an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization under the Indian 
                Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
                U.S.C. 5301 et seq.); or
                    (B) to include other Federal agencies that have 
                relevant expertise.
    (c) Definition of Affected Columbia River Treaty Tribes.--In this 
section, the term ``affected Columbia River Treaty tribes'' means the 
Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian 
Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of 
Oregon, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior such sums as are 
necessary, to remain available until expended--
            (1) for improvements to existing structures and 
        infrastructure to improve sanitation and safety conditions 
        assessed under subsection (a); and
            (2) to improve access to electricity, sewer, and water 
        infrastructure, where feasible, to reflect needs for sanitary 
        and safe use of facilities referred to in subsection (a).

SEC. 3. STUDY OF ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES.

    The Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with 
the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, shall--
            (1) conduct a study to evaluate whether the sanitation and 
        safety conditions on lands held by the United States for the 
        benefit of the affected Columbia River Treaty tribes (as 
        defined in section 2(c)) have improved as a result of the 
        activities authorized in section 2; and
            (2) prepare and submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs 
        of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
        House of Representatives a report containing the results of 
        that study.
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