zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Western Oregon Tribal Fairness Act

TITLE I--COW CREEK UMPQUA LAND CONVEYANCE

(Sec. 102) This bill requires that 17,519 acres of land be held in trust for, and be part of the reservation of, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. This land is taken into trust when the Department of the Interior and the tribe enter an agreement that secures existing Interior access to the land.

(Sec. 104) Federal law applies to the export of unprocessed logs harvested from this land and to forest management on this land. Gaming on this land is prohibited. This land is not subject to the land use planning requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 or the Act of August 28, 1937.

(Sec. 105) Interior must reclassify public domain land as Oregon and California Railroad grant land in equal acreage as grant land held in trust as part of this land.

TITLE II--OREGON COASTAL LAND CONVEYANCE

(Sec. 202) This bill requires that 14,742 acres of land be held in trust for, and be part of the reservation of, the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians. This land is taken into trust when Interior and the tribes enter an agreement that secures existing Interior access to the land and secures access for activities including land management, surveys, and transit of public vehicles.

(Sec. 204) Federal law applies to the export of unprocessed logs harvested from this land and to forest management on this land. Gaming on this land is prohibited. This land is not subject to the land use planning requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 or the Act of August 28, 1937.

(Sec. 205) Interior must reclassify public domain land as Oregon and California Railroad grant land in equal acreage as grant land held in trust as part of this land.TITLE III--AMENDMENTS TO COQUILLE RESTORATION ACT

(Sec. 301) This bill amends the Coquille Restoration Act to remove the requirement that Interior manage the Coquille Forest in accordance with state and federal forestry and environmental protection laws. Federal law applies to the export of unprocessed logs harvested from this land. Sales of timber from this land must be advertised, offered, and awarded according to competitive bidding practices.

This bill strikes a provision giving the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon jurisdiction over certain actions concerning the Coquille Forest and limiting remedies to equitable relief.

Date: 2015-03-19
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate reported version is repeated here.)

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Siletz Tribe Indian Restoration Act to authorize the Department of the Interior to take into trust for the Siletz Tribe additional lands that lie within the original 1855 Siletz Coast Reservation and are located in Benton, Douglas, Lane, Lincoln, Tillamook, and Yamhill counties in Oregon.

Such land must be considered and evaluated as an on-reservation acquisition and become part of the tribe's reservation. (Off-reservation land acquisition requests require Interior to give greater scrutiny to the tribe's justification of the anticipated benefits from the acquisition.)

Gaming is prohibited on lands taken into trust pursuant to this Act.

Date: 2015-03-19
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on March 16, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 (Sec. 1) The Department of the Interior may accept title to any real property located within the boundaries of the original 1857 reservation of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (comprising land within the political boundaries of Polk and Yamhill Counties, Oregon), if such real property is transferred to the United States by or on behalf of the tribes.

Interior must treat such a transfer of real property as an on-reservation trust acquisition. Gaming is prohibited on such real property, except for real property within two miles of a specified gaming facility. Real property taken into trust within the boundaries of the original reservation after September 9, 1988, must be considered part of the reservation.

Date: 2015-03-19
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act

Amends the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to permit the Native residents of each of the Native Villages of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell, Alaska, to organize as Urban Corporations and to receive certain settlement land pursuant to this Act.

Authorizes those Urban Corporations to establish a settlement trust to promote the health, education, and welfare of the trust beneficiaries, and preserve the Native heritage and culture of their communities.

Date: 2015-03-26
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the special depreciation rules for property used predominantly within an Indian reservation and to permit a taxpayer to elect not to have such rules apply to any class of property for any taxable year.

Date: 2015-04-15
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Taxation
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate reported version is repeated here.)

Albuquerque Indian School Land Transfer Act

 (Sec. 3) Directs the Department of the Interior to take into trust 4 tracts of federal land in New Mexico, the combined acreage of which is approximately 11.11 acres, that were historically part of the Albuquerque Indian School for the benefit of 19 specified pueblos immediately after the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 have been satisfied regarding the trust acquisition of such federal land.

Requires the federal lands taken into trust to be used for the educational, health, cultural, business, and economic development of the 19 pueblos. Requires the federal lands taken into trust to remain subject to any private or municipal encumbrance, right-of-way, restriction, easement of record, or utility service agreement in effect on this Act's enactment date.

Requires the 19 pueblos to allow the Bureau of Indian Affairs to continue to use the federal lands taken into trust for the facilities and purposes as in existence on this Act's enactment date.

(Sec. 4) Prohibits gaming from being carried out on the federal lands taken into trust under this Act.

Date: 2015-04-16
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Alaska Native Energy Assistance Program Act

This bill authorizes a Regional Corporation or Village Corporation in Alaska to establish an energy assistance program that provides to shareholders financial assistance for the payment of residential electric bills, the cost of home weatherization or energy efficiency improvements, or the purchase of transportation fuels.

Any assistance provided to shareholders under such an energy assistance program shall not be subject to federal taxation.

Date: 2015-05-06
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Energy
Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for producing electricity from an Indian coal production facility, to eliminate: (1) the requirement that such a facility be placed in service before January 1, 2009, and (2) the limitation on the period during which such coal is required to be produced and sold.

Date: 2015-05-18
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Taxation
Native Language Immersion Student Achievement Act

 (Sec. 3) This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to Indian tribes, tribal colleges or universities, tribal education agencies, local education agencies, specified schools, regional corporations, private or tribal nonprofit organizations, and consortia of any such entities to develop and maintain, or improve and expand, programs that support the use by schools, from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, of Native American languages as their primary language of instruction.

Grant applicants must present ED with specified assurances and demonstrations that the schools they will support have an endorsement to provide education primarily through a Native American language.

Grantees must:

 support Native American language education and development; develop or refine instructional curricula for the schools they support, including distinctive teaching materials and activities; fund training opportunities for school staff that strengthen the overall language and academic goals of their schools; develop a Native Language alignment plan to create or refine assessments of student proficiency; and engage in other activities that promote Native American language education and development.

Date: 2015-05-21
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on February 29, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Nevada Native Nations Land Act

(Sec. 3) This bill requires the United States to hold in trust the following lands for the benefit of:

 the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, 19,094 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land; the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, 82 acres of Forest Service land; the Summit Lake Paiute Tribe, 941 acres of BLM land; the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, 13,434 acres of BLM land; the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, 6,357 acres of BLM land; and the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe 31,269 acres of BLM land. The lands held for these tribes shall be part of their respective reservations.

(Sec. 4) Gaming is prohibited on these lands.

Date: 2015-05-21
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Equal and Fair Opportunity Settlement Act

 This bill amends the Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas Restoration Act to repeal the prohibition against gaming activities by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas on its lands if those gaming activities are prohibited by Texas law.

The United States and the Tribe must execute and file in each applicable court a motion for dismissal of any pending claim arising out of or relating to any interest in the aboriginal lands of the Tribe.

Any claim by or on behalf of the Tribe, or any predecessor in interest or any of its members, against the United States, Texas, or any landowner, that is based on any interest in or right involving any land or natural resources regarding the aboriginal lands, is hereby extinguished.

Date: 2015-05-22
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on April 25, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act or the NATIVE Act

(Sec. 4) This bill requires the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Interior, and federal agencies with recreational travel or tourism functions to update their management plans and tourism initiatives to include Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

The plans must outline proposals to:

 improve travel and tourism data collection and analysis, increase the usability of public information and federal websites, support national tourism goals, identify programs that could support tourism infrastructure in Native American communities, develop visitor portals and assets that showcase and respect the diversity of Native Americans, share local Native American heritage through the development of bilingual signage, and improve access to transportation programs for building capacity for Native American community tourism and trade. Interior and Commerce must: (1) work with a facilitator to provide technical assistance to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations regarding participation in the tourism industry, and (2) report on departmental efforts supporting such participation.

(Sec. 5) Federal agencies must: (1) support Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations in showcasing their history, culture, and continuing vitality, enhancing or maintaining their distinctive cultural features, and providing authentic and respectful visitor experiences; (2) assist in interpreting the connections between Native Americans and the national identity of the United States; (3) enhance efforts to promote understanding and respect for diverse cultures in the United States and the relevance of those cultures; and (4) ensure that travelers at airports and ports of entry are welcomed in a manner that both showcases and respects the diversity of Native American communities.

Grants relating to travel, recreation, or tourism for which Indian tribes, tribal organizations, or Native Hawaiian organizations are eligible may be used to: (1) support their efforts to present their story and culture, (2) revitalize Native American communities using the arts and humanities, and (3) carry out this Act.

The Smithsonian Institution must work with Indian tribes, tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and nonprofits to share collections and conduct joint research and projects with museums, educational organizations, and cultural organizations.

Date: 2015-06-16
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Extracurricular Programs for Indian Children Act of 2015

This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide grants for before-school, after-school, and summer school programs for Indian and Alaska Native students. Entities eligible for grants include Indian tribes, local educational agencies with more than 10% Indian or Alaska Native students, schools within Indian reservations, tribal colleges and universities, and tribal nonprofit organizations.

Grants may be used for activities that advance or improve student academic achievement and well-being, including education activities, Native language and culture programs, physical fitness activities, programs that promote parental involvement, substance abuse and violence prevention programs, health and mental health services, and transportation services.

The bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to make entities that are eligible for the grants in this Act eligible for the school lunch program, summer food service program for children, child and adult care food program, and school breakfast program.

Date: 2015-07-09
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

(Sec. 1) This bill takes into trust for the benefit of the Susanville Indian Rancheria approximately 301 acres of federal land under the administrative jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior, including improvements and appurtenances, in Lassen County, California.

Certain gaming on these lands is prohibited.

Date: 2015-07-14
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Tribal Employment and Jobs Protection Act 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the definition of "applicable large employer" for purposes of the employer health care mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA): (1) any Indian tribal government or subdivision, (2) any tribal organization, or (3) any corporation or partnership if more than 50% of the equity interest of such an entity is owned by an Indian tribal government or tribal organization. An applicable large employer is defined by PPACA as an employer who employs 50 or more full-time employees who provide services on average at least 30 hours per week.

Date: 2015-07-15
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Health
Tribal Infrastructure and Roads Enhancement and Safety Act or the TIRES Act

(Sec. 3) This bill modifies the approval process used for certain transportation projects on Indian reservations by allowing categorical exclusions from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements.

A "categorical exclusion" is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a federal agency in implementing environmental regulations and for which, therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required.

A "tribal transportation safety project" is one that is eligible for assistance under the tribal transportation program and that:

 corrects or improves a hazardous road location or feature, or addresses a highway safety problem. The Department of the Interior shall review existing categorical exclusions for tribal transportation program projects and identify tribal transportation safety projects that meet categorical exclusion requirements.

The bill prescribes requirements for the expedited review and approval of tribal transportation safety projects under NEPA or other federal laws.

(Sec. 4) Interior shall enter into five-year programmatic agreements with Indian tribes that establish efficient administrative procedures for carrying out environmental reviews for tribal transportation projects, including whether any project is categorically excluded from the preparation of an environmental assessment or impact statement under NEPA.

Date: 2015-07-15
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
(Sec. 1) All U.S. interests in approximately 80 acres of specified U.S. Forest Service land located in Tuolumne County, California, must be held in trust for the benefit of the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians. Gaming is not permitted on this land.

Date: 2015-07-21
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Native American Voting Rights Act of 2015

This bill prohibits states and local governments from:

 eliminating the only polling place or voter registration site on an Indian reservation; moving or consolidating a polling place or voter registration site located on an Indian reservation to a location one mile or further from the existing one; moving or consolidating a polling place on an Indian reservation to a location across a natural boundary if that makes travel difficult for a voter, regardless of distance; eliminating in-person voting on an Indian reservation by designating an Indian reservation as a permanent absentee voting location, unless the entire state is or becomes a permanent absentee voting state or the Indian tribe requests such a designation; removing an early voting location or otherwise diminishing early voting opportunities on an Indian reservation; or decreasing the number of days or hours that an in-person or early voting location is open on an Indian reservation or changing the dates of in-person or early voting on an Indian reservation. Requirements for exceptions to such prohibitions are prescribed.

Each of the states whose territory contains all or part of an Indian reservation shall designate, for each Indian tribe of each Indian reservation, an officer within that state responsible for compliance with this Act.

Any state whose territory contains all or part of an Indian reservation shall provide one or more polling places for each Indian tribe satisfying certain obligations.

In states that provide for early voting a state or local election official shall provide upon request at least one early voting location on an Indian reservation.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is amended to require the Office of Personnel Management to assign an appropriate number of observers whenever the Attorney General receives a written complaint from an Indian tribe that efforts to deny or abridge the right to vote under the color of law on account of race or color, or in contravention of specified guarantees, are likely to occur.

Date: 2015-07-30
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Government operations and politics
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.

Date: 2015-08-04
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Education
This bill: (1) reaffirms the trust status of land taken into trust by the United States under the Indian Reorganization Act before enactment of this Act for an Indian tribe that was federally recognized on the date the land was taken into trust, and (2) ratifies and confirms any action of the Department of the Interior in acquiring and taking land into trust under such Act as if the action had been specifically authorized and directed by prior Act of Congress.

Any land taken into trust that has been ratified and confirmed by this Act shall remain Indian country.

This bill shall apply to all claims (including claims challenging the validity of title or the effectiveness of any action of Interior acquiring and taking land into trust) pending on, or filed on or after, the date of the enactment of this Act.

Date: 2015-08-04
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Alaska Native Veterans Land Allotment Equity Act

 Amends the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) to declare that any allotment application pending before the Department of the Interior on December 18, 1971, that was closed by the Department pursuant to the civil action Shields v. United States shall be reopened and considered to be approved.

Revises requirements for the eligibility of Alaska Native Vietnam veterans for an allotment. Extends eligibility for allotments to veterans who served between August 5, 1964, and May 7, 1975.

Allows eligible persons to file for allotments of up to two parcels of federal land (as under current law) totaling up to 160 acres.

Eliminates the limitation of these allotments to lands that were vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved on the date when the person eligible for the allotment first used and occupied them.

Allows allotments to be selected from vacant federal lands or lands that have been selected or conveyed to the state of Alaska or a Native Corporation, if the state or Corporation voluntarily relinquishes or conveys the land to the United States for allotment.

Limits the exclusions from lands that may be selected for allotments to: (1) lands in the right-of-way of the TransAlaska Pipeline; (2) the inner or outer corridor of such a right-of-way; or (3) a unit of the National Park System, a National Preserve, or a National Monument.

 Allows an heir of a deceased eligible veteran, regardless of the cause of death, to apply for and receive the allotment.

Permits any person who made an allotment selection under ANCSA before this Act's enactment to withdraw it and reselect lands if those originally selected were not conveyed to that person before this Act's enactment.

Date: 2015-08-05
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Bring the Ancient One Home Act of 2015

This bill directs the Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers to transfer the human remains known as Kennewick Man or the Ancient One that are part of archaeological collection number 45BN495 to the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation on the condition that such Department disposes of and repatriates the remains to the Indian tribes and band referred to in the letter from Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt to Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera relating to the human remains, dated September 21, 2000.

The Corps of Engineers shall be responsible for any costs associated with the transfer.

Date: 2015-08-05
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act

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 it is modified by or conflicts with this Act.

Confirms a Tribal Water Right that must be held in trust by the United States on behalf of the Band 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.)

Authorizes allottees to lease their lands together with any water right.

Requires the Band to enact a Pechanga Water Code that governs the storage, recovery, and use of the Tribal Water Right, subject to the Department of the Interior's approval.

Directs the Band and the United States (acting as trustee for the Band and allottees), to waive all claims for water rights within the Santa Margarita River Watershed.

States that the Band and the United States (acting as trustee for the Band), waive specified claims against the RCWD.

Authorizes the waiver of claims by the Band against the United States regarding specified water rights and damages.

Establishes in the Treasury the Pechanga Settlement Fund.

 Makes this Act enforceable on the date Interior publishes specified findings regarding despoits and approved agreements. Repeals this Act and voids any related agreements on May 1, 2021, or an alternative later date agreed to by the Band and Interior, if Interior does not publish those findings.

Prohibits Interior from being liable for failing to carry out any obligation or activity under this Act if there are insufficient appropriations.

Date: 2015-08-05
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Keeping out Illegal Drugs Act of 2015 or the KIDs Act of 2015

This bill prohibits any Indian tribe or a tribal organization from: (1) cultivating, manufacturing, or distributing marijuana on Indian lands; (2) knowingly or intentionally allowing the cultivation, manufacture, or distribution of marijuana on Indian lands; or (3) failing to prosecute, or to notify the appropriate federal official regarding, an individual or entity who is discovered to be cultivating, manufacturing, or distributing marijuana on Indian lands or failing to destroy the relevant marijuana crop in accordance with federal law.

No funds authorized or appropriated by federal law shall be made available to an Indian tribe or a tribal organization determined to have violated this Act until such tribe or tribal organization has remedied the violation and achieved compliance with this Act.

Date: 2015-08-05
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
This bill amends the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to recognize Alexander Creek as a Native village. Currently, Alexander Creek is recognized as a Native group. (Under the Act, a Native village is entitled to more land than a Native group.)

Alexander Creek must file any amendments to its corporate charter that are necessary to convert from a Native group to a Native village.

The Department of the Interior must negotiate with Alexander Creek to fairly and equitably settle aboriginal land claims and any other claims against the United States.

Alexander Creek must notify its members that the Cook Inlet regional corporation will make future payments to the village instead of to individual members. The regional corporation is not liable for damages related to cessation of payments to individual members of Alexander Creek.

Date: 2015-09-09
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts Act of 2015

This bill permits the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to tribal governments acting in partnership with state or local governments for tribal healing to wellness courts. (A tribal healing to wellness court is a drug court that is a component of a tribal justice system and includes substance abuse treatment and may include cultural activities.)

Courts receiving grants must monitor individuals under their jurisdiction and must periodically test each individual for drug use. DOJ may require these courts to increase punitive or treatment responses for an individual who fails a drug test.

Violent offenders may not be under the jurisdiction of these courts unless the court has received a waiver from DOJ.

Date: 2015-10-22
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Tribal Early Childhood, Education, and Related Services Integration Act of 2015

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.

Date: 2015-11-18
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Safe Academic Facilities and Environments for Tribal Youth Act or the SAFETY Act

This bill directs the Department of the Interior to carry out a Tribal School Construction Demonstration Program to award grants to Indian tribes for the construction of replacement tribal schools. The program provides additional funding and opportunities for tribes to construct schools. Tribes on the Interior priority list for construction of tribal schools receive the highest priority for a grant under this program.

This bill amends the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978 to revise the grant program for construction at tribal colleges and universities. The bill eliminates the requirements for Interior to identify the need for construction and tribal colleges and universities to provide matching funds. Restrictions on grant amounts and the use of constructed facilities are removed.

This bill amends the Housing Act of 1949 to authorize the Department of Agriculture to award grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal housing entities for the construction or renovation of housing in rural areas for educators at Indian schools and schools where at least 25% of the students are Indian.

The Bureau of Indian Education and the Office of Management and Budget must develop a 10-year plan to bring up to good condition certain Bureau of Indian Education school facilities.

The Government Accountability Office must report on Impact Aid for construction provided to local education agencies impacted by military dependent children and children who reside on Indian lands.

Date: 2016-01-27
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Reforming American Indian Standards of Education Act of 2016 or the RAISE Act of 2016

(Sec. 3) This bill establishes the Indian Education Agency to replace the Bureau of Indian Education.

(Sec. 4) Functions, authorities, and personnel of the Department of the Interior related to Indian education are transferred to the agency.

(Sec. 5) The President's budget must include a separate request for funds for construction of schools by the agency. In making such funds available, the agency must prioritize schools with the most serious deficiencies in capacity or facility conditions.

(Sec. 7) The agency must give preference in hiring to members of Indian tribes.

(Sec. 8) The agency must annually report on its activities, the effectiveness of this bill, and recommendations for legislation to improve the agency.

(Sec. 9) Regulations promulgated by the agency are not subject to review or approval by Interior.

Date: 2016-02-25
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Reservation Land Consolidation Act of 2016

This bill amends the Indian Reorganization Act to have land within or contiguous to an Indian tribe's reservation taken into trust for the benefit of the tribe immediately upon the tribe's submission to the Department of the Interior of an application that contains title evidence for the land. Currently, such applications must be reviewed and approved by Interior before the land is taken into trust.

Date: 2016-03-03
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
This bill amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to provide that nothing in such Actprohibits possessing, selling, bartering, purchasing, shipping, and transporting any authentic Alaska Native handicraft, clothing or art on the basis that it contains a non-edible migratory bird part, so long as the bird was not taken in a wasteful manner.

Date: 2016-03-03
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Animals
Pueblo de Cochiti Self-Governance Act

(Sec. 2) 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, and gaming is prohibited on land acquired using settlement funds.

Date: 2016-03-07
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Native American Education Opportunity Act

This bill amends the Education Amendments of 1978 to require the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to reimburse states for grants made to education savings accounts for eligible students who: (1) attended or will be eligible to attend a BIA-funded school, (2) live on the reservation of a tribe, (3) will not be attending a BIA-funded school or other public elementary or secondary school for the applicable school year, and (4) meet applicable eligibility requirements.

From education savings accounts, parents may purchase goods and services related to students' educational needs.

Date: 2016-03-17
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Dam Repairs and Improvements for Tribes Act of 2016 or the DRIFT Act of 2016

TITLE I--INDIAN DAM SAFETY DEFERRED MAINTENANCE FUNDS

Subtitle A--High-Hazard Fund

(Sec. 101) This bill establishes the High-Hazard Indian Dam Safety Deferred Maintenance Fund.

(Sec. 102) The Department of the Treasury must make deposits to this fund at least monthly until the fund is terminated at the end of FY2037.

Subtitle B--Low-Hazard Fund

(Sec. 111) This bill establishes the Low-Hazard Indian Dam Safety Deferred Maintenance Fund.

(Sec. 112) The Department of the Treasury must make deposits to this fund at least monthly until the fund is terminated at the end of FY2037.

TITLE II--REPAIR, REPLACEMENT, AND MAINTENANCE OF CERTAIN INDIAN DAMS

Subtitle A--Program Establishment

(Sec. 201) The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) must establish a program to address the deferred maintenance needs of Indian dams that create flood risks or other risks to safety, natural resources, or cultural resources and impede the management and efficiency of Indian dams.

(Sec. 202) To be eligible, a dam must be federally owned and included in the BIA's Safety of Dams program. The low hazard fund and high hazard fund must be used to pay for maintenance, repair, and replacement activities for dams classified under guidelines of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as low hazard and significant or high hazard, respectively.

(Sec. 203) The BIA must: (1) develop programmatic goals and prioritization criteria before expending funds; (2) prioritize dams that serve more than one tribe or highly populated Indian communities; (3) consult with landowners served by the dam before expending funds, except in emergencies; and (4) ensure that, each year, every dam in need of critical maintenance receives funding.

Subtitle B--Management

(Sec. 211) The Department of the Interior must establish in the BIA the Tribal Safety of Dams Committee to study the modernization of the Indian Dams Safety Act of 1994 and develop recommendations for legislation to improve that Act.

(Sec. 212) The BIA must: (1) request that Indian tribes report on dams on their land at least once every 180 days, and (2) report on each dam under BIA jurisdiction at least once each year.

(Sec. 213) The BIA must establish a flood plain management pilot program to provide, upon request, guidance to Indians tribes on best practices for the mitigation and prevention of floods. The program is funded through the funds for high- and low-hazard dams and is terminated four years after enactment of this bill.

(Sec. 214) This bill amends the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 to revise the tribal partnership program, including to permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide assistance for any activity relating to the feasibility, planning, design, or construction of a water resources development project.

(Sec. 215) This bill amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 to extend to tribes the waiver of cost-sharing requirements for studies and projects.

Date: 2016-03-17
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Alaska Native Access Card Act 

This bill amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the National Marine Fisheries Serviceand the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop and implement a process for issuing an Alaska Native Access Card.

The Alaska Native Access Card authorizes Alaska Natives to import marine mammal products into the United States for noncommercial purposes.

Date: 2016-03-17
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
This bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to exempt Indian tribes from any requirement to provide compensatory mitigation as a condition of a permit to discharge dredged or fill material into waters of the United States when the permitted activity is conducted on Indian land. If the Indian tribe ceases to maintain the permitted activity on that land, or seeks to abandon that activity without a good faith transfer, the Indian tribe must obtain a permit modification from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps of Engineers may require restoration and rehabilitation of the area.

Date: 2016-03-17
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Environmental protection
Tribal Youth and Community Protection Act of 2016

This bill reauthorizes through FY2020, and revises, provisions of the Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1986 and other laws that: (1) support efforts to combat alcohol and substance abuse among tribal members, and (2) authorize the Department of Justice to award grants to enhance the criminal justice systems of tribal governments. The bill also expands and modifies tribal jurisdiction over certain crimes.

Date: 2016-04-12
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
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.

Date: 2016-04-13
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Johnson-O'Malley Supplemental Indian Education Program Modernization Act

This bill amends the Johnson-O'Malley Act to establish a program through which the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) shall contract with eligible entities for the purpose of providing educational benefits to Indian students. An eligible entity is an entity that educates or serves Indian students and is either an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, an Indian corporation, a school district, a state, or a consortium of any of these entities.

An eligible entity shall use the funds to establish or expand programs to: (1) provide remedial instruction, counseling, cultural programs, school supplies, and specified courses and activities; (2) establish targeted, culturally sensitive, dropout prevention activities; and (3) purchase equipment to facilitate training in trade skills and college preparation.

In general, BIA shall base the amount of a contract on the number of eligible Indian students educated or served by an eligible entity.

With respect to these contracts, BIA must ensure full geographic coverage and the full participation of eligible entities.

Date: 2016-04-21
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Education
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

(Sec. 1) This bill amends the Indian Long-Term Leasing Act to expand the land of the Pueblo of Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh pueblo that may be leased for up to 99 years with the approval of the Department of the Interior, from lands held in trust, to all of the lands of the Pueblo of Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh pueblo.

Date: 2016-05-10
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Tribal Law and Order Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2016

This bill amends the Indian Law Enforcement Act, the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, and other laws to: (1) establish, or reauthorize through FY2021 and revise, various public safety programs and services with respect to Indian communities; and (2) modify provisions, and reauthorize through FY2021 various programs, related to Indian youth and juvenile justice.

Date: 2016-05-11
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Indian Health Service Accountability Act of 2016 or the IHS Accountability Act of 2016

This bill amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the Public Health Service Act, and other laws to:

 allow the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to remove, transfer, or demote certain employees of the Indian Health Service (IHS) based on performance or misconduct; allow HHS to establish certain incentives related to IHS employee recruitment and retention; require HHS to modify the pay system for certain IHS employees; establish requirements for IHS and its employees with respect to retaliation and other conduct; and revise other provisions regarding IHS hiring practices, liability protections, accountability, and transparency.

Date: 2016-05-19
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on September 27, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

(Sec. 1) This bill amends the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to specify that settlement funds may be used for the planning, design, and construction of the tribe's rural water system.

Date: 2016-05-19
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Improvement Act of 2016 

This bill amends the Barrow Gas Field Transfer Act of 1984 to require the Department of the Interior to convey to the Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation, an Alaska Native village corporation, sand and gravel deposits underlying a surface estate owned by the corporation.

Interior must grant the Shishmaref Native Corporation, a village corporation, an easement between Shishmaref, Alaska, and the area of Ear Mountain, Alaska.

Shee Atika Incorporated, an urban Native corporation, may opt to receive credits from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the sale of Cube Cove in Admiralty Island, Alaska, that may be used to acquire federal property sold at public sales.

The bill authorizes a land exchange between the USDA and the Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native regional corporation.

Cook Inlet Region, Inc., a regional corporation, may satisfy its claim land under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).

The bill amends ANCSA to require Interior to convey: (1) a surface estate to Kian Tr'ee Corporation, a village corporation, for the Native village of Canyon Village; and (2) a subsurface estate to Doyon Limited, a regional corporation.

Upon application by the village of Kaktovik or Nagamut, Interior must convey land within the National Wildlife Refuge System to the village.

The bill makes land held by Alaska Native corporations subject to the National Historic Preservation Act, the Tribal Forest Protection Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

Native residents of the villages of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell, Alaska, may organize as urban corporations. Upon incorporation, Interior must offer each corporation 23,040 acres of land.

Alaska Native veterans who served during the Vietnam War may receive an allotment of federal land.

Date: 2016-05-26
Topic: Public Lands (Indigenous Affairs)
Subject: Native Americans