jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-04-26 00:00:00

Tribal Early Childhood, Education, and Related Services Integration Act of 2016

This bill amends the Native American Programs Act of 1974 to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a demonstration program to support tribal early childhood education demonstration projects. Funding for projects is through existing programs that have a purpose consistent with the purpose of the demonstration program. HHS may waive certain provisions of law, policy, or procedure related to the programs providing funding for projects.

Demonstration projects must be: (1) carried out by an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or a consortium with a tribe or tribal organization as its primary member; (2) designed around new approaches that address tribal community needs and improve early childhood education and services; and (3) focused on Native culture, culturally based early childhood education, and related services.

HHS must make grants to demonstration projects to: (1) build or upgrade facilities for early childhood care and development, and (2) reimburse early childhood educators who fulfill a period of obligated service for costs associated with obtaining early childhood certification or credentials.

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise federal student loan forgiveness and loan cancellation for teachers to increase the maximum amounts of loan forgiveness and cancellation that may be provided to early childhood teachers in programs operated by Indian tribes or serving a large percentage of Indian children. Cancellation of student loans for public service is expanded to include service in Indian prekindergarten, child care programs, or early childhood learning and development centers.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-04-27 00:00:00

California Compact Protection Act

This bill amends the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to prohibit the Department of the Interior from allowing certain gaming on California land for which a proposed gaming compact was not ratified by the state or for which the electorate rejected a gaming compact.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2016-04-27 00:00:00

This bill amends the Barrow Gas Field Transfer Act of 1984 with respect to the conveyance to the Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation (UIC) of all right, title, and interest held by the United States to sand and gravel underlying the surface estate owned by UIC in the Barrow gas fields and Walakpa gas discovery site.

This conveyance shall include all U.S. right, title, and interest to specified sand and gravel deposits underlying the surface estate owned by UIC that are contiguous to the Barrow gas fields.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2016-06-08 00:00:00

This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide the right to pass the borders of the United States (which includes other privileges pursuant to the Jay Treaty) to an American Indian born in the United States or Canada who is a member, or is eligible to be a member, of a federally recognized Indian tribe in the United States or Canada. (Current law provides such right to only an American Indian born in Canada who has at least 50% American Indian blood.)
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-06-09 00:00:00

This bill amends the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 to specify that White Mountain Apache Tribe settlement funds may be used for the completion of the tribe's rural water system.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-06-09 00:00:00

Drug-Free Indian Health Service Act of 2016

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement mandatory random drug testing for Indian Health Service (IHS) employees who provide health care or administrative services to patients at IHS health care facilities. Officers of the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service are exempt from this drug testing. Each employee must be tested at least once per year for specified drugs.

HHS must notify employees of the implementation of this drug testing. Employees selected for drug testing must be notified of their selection on the same day as the testing.

Employees found to have engaged in illegal drug use, through testing, direct observation, evidence from a conviction, or voluntary admission, are prohibited from providing services to patients and referred to the HHS Employee Assistance Program (EAP). At the discretion of HHS, an employee may return to duty after obtaining counseling or rehabilitation through the EAP. HHS may initiate an adverse action, including removal, against an employee engaged in illegal drug use unless the employee voluntarily admits to illegal drug use, ceases such activity, and obtains counseling or rehabilitation through the EAP.

Employees who refuse to submit to drug testing are prohibited from providing services to patients and are subject to adverse action.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2016-06-10 00:00:00

Native American Health Savings Improvement Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to specify that receiving hospital care or medical services under a medical care program of the Indian Health Service or a tribal organization does not disqualify an individual from being eligible for a health savings account.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-06-14 00:00:00

Pueblo de Cochiti Self-Governance Act

This bill amends the Act of August 26, 1992, to ratify modifications to the settlement agreement between the Pueblo de Cochiti of New Mexico and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In accordance with the amended agreement, the tribe assumes legal and financial responsibility for the operation and maintenance of a drainage system.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-06-15 00:00:00

Poarch Band of Creek Indians Land Reaffirmation Act

This bill reaffirms as trust land specified land taken into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, including land in Escambia County, Florida, and Monroe, Escambia, and Montgomery Counties in Alabama.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-07-06 00:00:00

Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act

This bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the water rights compact between the Blackfeet Tribe and Montana dated April 15, 2009, as modified to be consistent with this bill.

The tribe and the Fort Belknap Indian Community must agree on their Milk River water rights.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) must: (1) enter into at least one water delivery contract with the Blackfeet Tribe for water from the St. Mary River water right, (2) review the final project design of the Swiftcurrent Creek Bank Stabilization Project and work with the tribe to carry out the project, and (3) carry out specified maintenance projects.

The tribe must grant the United States certain easements and rights-of-way.

The USBR is granted exclusive jurisdiction to authorize the development of St. Mary Unit hydroelectric power. The tribe is granted the exclusive right to develop and market such power.

Interior must allocate water stored in Lake Elwell for the tribe.

Ownership of Birch Creek water delivery facilities is transferred to the tribe.

The tribe must establish a tribal water code, subject to Interior approval.

The water rights of the tribe within the Lewis and Clark National Forest and Glacier National Park are confirmed.

The tribe and the United States must waive certain claims to water rights.

The tribe must: (1) waive claims against the United States regarding specified land and facilities, and (2) withdraw objections to U.S. water rights claims for the benefit of the Milk River Project.

The provisions of this bill expire and related actions and agreements are void if Interior does not publish specified findings or appropriations are not made.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Education
Date: 2016-07-08 00:00:00

Native Educator Support and Training Act or the NEST Act 

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish scholarships, loan forgiveness plans, and training programs for educators who commit to teaching in Native American or Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools.

This bill establishes three scholarship programs for students who are seeking degrees in education or school administration at institutions of higher education and commit to teaching in Native American or BIE schools:

 the Indian Student Educator Scholarship Program for students seeking degrees, the Indian Educator Scholarship Program for Indian students seeking degrees, and the Indian Educator Graduate Fellowship Program for Indian students seeking graduate degrees. Recipients of the scholarships must commit to working for a BIE school, a school serving Native Americans, or other specified schools and agencies for the greater of three years or the number of school years that the scholarship funded.

The bill establishes loan forgiveness programs for educators and Native Americans who have taught for at least five consecutive years at BIE schools or local educational agencies with high percentages of Native American students.

The bill extends the federal Perkins Loan Cancellation Program to educators teaching in BIE schools or in Native American language immersion programs.

The bill authorizes professional development grants for native-serving elementary and secondary schools. It also establishes the Native American Language Teacher Training Program to provide grants for institutions of higher education to develop training programs for Native American immersion and language teachers.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-07-14 00:00:00

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 BIA land set aside to provide Columbia River Treaty tribes access to traditional fishing grounds. No other federal agency may carry out this assessment.

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.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-07-14 00:00:00

Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2016

This bill increases the maximum term of imprisonment from 5 years to 10 years for individuals convicted more than once of illegal trafficking in Native American human remains or cultural items.

This bill bans the export of illegally obtained Native American cultural objects and sets penalties for violations of this ban.

A person is immune from criminal prosecution under laws regarding Native American cultural objects if the person voluntarily repatriates to the appropriate tribe all the Native American cultural objects in the person's possession not later than two years after enactment of this bill. This immunity does not apply to a person under active investigation or prosecution relating to Native American cultural objects.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must report on the number of Native American cultural objects illegally trafficked and the extent to which the Department of Justice has prosecuted cases of trafficking. The GAO must recommend actions to eliminate such trafficking and to secure the repatriation of Native American cultural objects.

The Department of the Interior must facilitate the convention of a working group to contribute information to the GAO report and to advise on implementation of the GAO's recommendations.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-07-14 00:00:00

Shee Atika Land Entitlement Act or the SALE Act

This bill declares that consideration received by the urban Native corporation of Shee Atika under the agreement between Shee Atika and the United States must be treated as the receipt of land or interest in land pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act or as cash to equalize the values of properties exchanged pursuant to that Act. (Under the Act, these considerations are not taxed.)

Shee Atika may elect to accept payment from the Department of Agriculture for Cube Cove lands into an account that may be used to purchase property sold at public sale by a federal agency. Purchases made through that account must be considered to be conveyances under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-07-18 00:00:00

This bill repeals the act entitled "An Act to confer jurisdiction on the State of Iowa over offenses committed by or against Indians on the Sac and Fox Indian Reservation."
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2016-09-06 00:00:00

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to tax administration requirements for foreign-source income and assets, to repeal:  (1) withholding requirements for payments to foreign financial institutions and other foreign entities, (2) information reporting for foreign financial assets, (3) penalties for underpayments of tax attributable to undisclosed foreign financial assets, (4) reporting requirements for shareholders of a passive foreign investment company and U.S. owners of foreign trusts, and (5) the additional penalty for failure to file required notices and information returns for certain foreign trusts.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-09-09 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act

(Sec. 4) This bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the Pechanga Settlement Agreement, entered into by the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, the Rancho California Water District (RCWD), and the United States, except to the extent that the agreement is modified by or conflicts with this bill.

(Sec. 5) The bill confirms water rights that must be held in trust by the United States on behalf of the tribe and its allottees. (Allottees are individuals who hold a beneficial real property interest in an Indian allotment that is located within the reservation and held in trust by the United States.) Allotted land is entitled to a just and equitable allocation of water from the water rights for irrigation and domestic purposes.

Allottees may lease their land together with any water right.

The tribe must enact a Pechanga Water Code that governs the storage, recovery, and use of the water rights, subject to the Department of the Interior's approval. Interior must administer the water rights until the water code is enacted and approved.

(Sec. 7) The tribe and the United States (acting as trustee for the tribe and allottees) must waive all claims to water rights within the Santa Margarita River Watershed, except water rights recognized in the Pechanga Settlement Agreement and this bill.

The tribe and the United States (acting as trustee for the tribe) waive specified claims against the RCWD.

The tribe may waive claims against the United States regarding specified water rights and damages.

 The waivers in this bill are enforceable on the date Interior publishes specified findings regarding deposits, waivers, and approved agreements.

(Sec. 8) Interior must provide the amounts necessary to fulfill the tribe's obligations under specified agreements regarding water infrastructure.

 (Sec. 9) The bill establishes the Pechanga Settlement Fund. The fund is to be used to carry out this bill.

(Sec. 12) If Interior does not publish the findings required for enforcement of the waivers in this bill by April 30, 2021, or an alternative later date agreed to by the tribe and Interior, the provisions of this bill expire, related agreements are void, and funds are rescinded.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-09-14 00:00:00

Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes Act or the RESPECT Act

This bill repeals outdated provisions regarding treatment of Native Americans, including provisions on hostile tribes, alcohol, work requirements, penalties for truancy, and placement of youth in reform school without the consent of a parent or guardian.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-09-15 00:00:00

This bill confers exclusive jurisdiction to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma's land claim arising under the Treaty of Grouseland. The court must render judgement without regard to defenses based on the passage of time, including the statute of limitations. The United States is the only entity liable for such a claim and monetary damages are the only available remedy. This jurisdiction expires unless such a claim is filed within one year of enactment of this bill.

All other claims of the tribe to title arising under the Treaty of Grouseland are extinguished.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2016-11-17 00:00:00

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through December 31, 2017, the income tax credit for Indian employment.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2016-11-17 00:00:00

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through December 31, 2018, the income tax credit for Indian employment.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-12-07 00:00:00

Yurok Lands Act

This bill gives the Yurok Tribe the option to expand its role in the environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) with respect to major federal actions within: (1) the Revised Yurok Reservation, and (2) specified areas within the Klamath and Redwood Creek Watersheds.

The Department of the Interior must enter into a cooperative agreement with the tribe for protecting the natural resources of Redwood National Park.

The bill confirms the 2006 "Cooperative Agreement between the Department of the Interior and the Yurok Tribe for the Cooperative Management of Tribal and Federal Lands and Resources in the Klamath River Basin of California." Interior may take actions to effectuate the agreement.

The Forest Service must transfer approximately 1,229 acres in the Yurok Experimental Forest to Interior. That land must be held in trust for the benefit of the tribe and be managed by the tribe for conservation and research purposes. The trust land may not be: (1) used for gaming activity, and (2) subject to old growth logging.

Interior must revise the boundary of the reservation as depicted on the map entitled, "Revised Yurok Reservation Boundary" and dated December 7, 2016. National Forest System land and National Park System land within the revised reservation must be administered by the Forest Service and the National Park Service, respectively.

The bill designates the Bald Hills Road, which runs from U.S. Highway 101 to the Klamath River, as the "Yurok Scenic Byway."

The bill ratifies and confirms the tribe's governing documents.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2016-12-13 00:00:00

Chugach Region Lands Study Act

This bill requires the Department of the Interior, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture, to identify at least 500,000 acres of economically viable federal land that may be exchanged with the Chugach Alaska Corporation. Acre-for-acre exchange of identified federal land for certain Chugach Alaska Corporation land is deemed to be in the public interest.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2015-01-06 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians Restoration Act of 2015

 (Sec. 4) Extends federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana.

(Sec. 5) Makes the Tribe and each member eligible for all services and benefits provided by the United States to Indians and federally recognized Indian tribes, without regard to the existence of a reservation for the Tribe or the location of the residence of any member on or near an Indian reservation. Considers the federal service area of the Tribe to be the area comprised of Blaine, Cascade, Glacier, and Hill Counties, Montana.

 (Sec. 7) Directs the Tribe, as a condition of receiving recognition, services, and benefits pursuant to this Act, to submit to the Department of the Interior a membership roll consisting of the name of each individual enrolled as a member of the Tribe. Requires the Tribe to maintain such membership roll.

(Sec. 8) Directs Interior to acquire, for the benefit of the Tribe, trust title to 200 acres of land within the Tribe's service area to be used for a tribal land base. Allows Interior to acquire additional land for the benefit of the Tribe.
Topic: Public Lands — Indigenous Affairs
Subject: Native Americans
Date: 2015-01-16 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate reported version is repeated here.)

Native American Children's Safety Act

 Amends the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act to prohibit the final approval of any foster care placement or a foster care license from being issued until the tribal social services agency: (1) completes a criminal records check of each covered individual who resides in the household or is employed at the institution in which the foster care placement will be made, and (2) concludes that each of those individuals meets the tribe's standards established pursuant to this Act. Defines a "covered individual" as an adult and any other individual the tribe determines is subject to a criminal records check.

Requires the Tribe's standards to include requirements that each tribal social services agency: (1) perform criminal records checks, including fingerprint-based checks of national crime information databases; (2) check any abuse registries maintained by the Indian tribe; (3) check any child abuse and neglect registry maintained by the state, and any tribal abuse registries maintained in the state, in which the individual resides; (4) request any other state in which the individual resided during the preceding five years to enable the agency to check its registry; and (5) any other additional requirements that the Indian tribe determines is necessary and permissible within its existing authority, such as the creation of voluntary agreements with state entities in order to facilitate the sharing of information related to the performance of criminal records checks. Prohibits a foster care placement from being ordered if the investigation reveals that a covered individual has been found guilty by a federal, state, or tribal court of a felony involving child abuse or neglect, spousal abuse, a crime against a child, violence, or drugs.

Exempts emergency foster care placements from such requirements.

Requires Indian tribes to establish procedures to recertify homes or institutions in which foster care placements are made.

Directs the Department of the Interior to issue guidance regarding: (1) procedures for a criminal records check of any covered individual who resides in the home or is employed at the institution in which the child is placed after the investigations that preceded that placement occurred, (2) self-reporting requirements for foster care homes or institutions that have knowledge that a covered individual residing on their premises would fail a criminal records check, (3) promising practices used by Indian tribes to address emergency foster care placements, and (4) procedures for certifying compliance with the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act.