Indian Country Economic Development Act

Bill: 112-hr-1599
Sponsor: Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4]
Introduced: 2011-04-15 in the House
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations
Congressional oversight
Department of the Interior
Elementary and secondary education
Employment and training programs
Federal-Indian relations
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Higher education
Income tax credits
Income tax exclusion
Indian lands and resources rights
Indian social and development programs
Intergovernmental relations
Labor-management relations
Land transfers
Medical education
Minority education
Minority health
Racial and ethnic relations
Securities
State and local finance
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula

Summary:
action_date: 2011-04-15
text: 
Indian Country Economic Development Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that any enterprise or institution owned and operated by an Indian tribe and located on its lands is not considered an employer (thus excluding such enterprises or institutions from coverage by such Act).
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to exclude from gross income student loan repayments: (1) under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, and (2) by the Bureau of Indian Education on behalf its employees whose responsibilities include working with or instructing students who attend schools the Bureau oversees.
 
Amends the IRC and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to treat the pension plans of Indian tribal governments as other governmental pension plans are treated. (Currently, tribal government pension plans that include employees performing commercial activities are not considered to be governmental plans.) 
 
Permits the issuance of tax-exempt bonds by an Indian tribal government or subdivision if: (1) the obligation is part of an issue substantially all of whose proceeds are to be used in the exercise of an essential government function, or (2) at least 95% of the net proceeds are used to finance facilities on the Indian reservation. 
 
Amends the Securities Act of 1933 to exempt obligations issued by an Indian tribal government or subdivision from registration requirements.
 
Amends the IRC to provide an employment tax credit to technology companies in Indian country that supply the federal government with domestic sole-sourced technology.
 
 
Extends to any Indian tribe the discretion granted under current law only to the Navajo Nation to lease restricted lands without the approval of the Secretary of the Interior in specified circumstances.
 
Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide that the granting of a preference to a member of an Indian tribe by the tribe on account of such membership is not a violation of the prohibition against discrimination under federally assisted programs on the ground of a person's race, color, or national origin.
 
Allows Indian tribes and tribal organizations to submit proposals to have assistance from more than one federal program integrated to support a community, economic, or business development project that is consistent with the goals of those programs. Requires the federal agency most affected by such a proposal to consult with the other agencies involved and the Department of the Interior in deciding whether or not to approve the proposal and facilitate its implementation.
 
Authorizes federal agencies to enter into agreements with states for joint financing of such projects.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-08-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.
action_date: 2011-05-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2011-05-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.
action_date: 2011-04-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee Indian and Alaska Native Affairs.
action_date: 2011-04-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Natural Resources, Financial Services, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-04-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Natural Resources, Financial Services, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-04-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Natural Resources, Financial Services, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-04-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Natural Resources, Financial Services, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-04-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Natural Resources, Financial Services, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-04-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-04-15
text: Introduced in House