Less than a month old, the 115th Congress is already awash with bills. As of January 21st, eighteen bills specific to Native Americans had been introduced, and twenty-two others included mention of tribal governments in bills that provide general programs and grants for states and local governments.
We’ll keep track of these bills on a new list for the 115th Congress. Here are a few of the specifics, introduced in the first few days of the year:
Budget and Tax Provisions: Representative Young (AK) reintroduced the Honor Our Trust Relationships Act as H.R. 292. The bill would exempt Alaska Native and American Indian programs from sequestration that could be required under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Sequestration is an automatic across-the-board spending reduction that permanently cancels spending authority according to a formula in order to enforce deficit reduction goals.
Taking Lands into Trust: Representative Cole (OK-4) introduced H.R. 130 and H.R. 131 to counter the Supreme Court’s 2009 decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. That decision held that the federal government did not have authority to take Indian lands into trust for any tribes that were not recognized before 1934, the effective date of the Indian Reorganization Act. The impact of the decision has clouded the status of a lot Indian land, effectively hobbling economic development in Indian country. H.R. 130 affirms the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take lands into trust for the benefit of Indian tribes. H.R. 131 reaffirms the trust status of lands that have already been taken into trust for the benefit of tribes that were federally recognized at the time when the trust was established, even if that date fell after the 1934 Act.
Employment and Training: Senator Murkowski (AK) and Representative Young (AK-0) have reintroduced two versions of a bill to reauthorize the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Act, S. 91 and H.R. 228, respectively. This program, enacted in 1992, provides grants to tribes to support tribal jobs and job training programs.
Health Care: Representative Young (AK -0) introduced H.R. 235 to authorize advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service. This would allow the Indian Health Service to have reasonable notice of available funds, so that they can staff their health centers hospitals on a timely and orderly basis.
Senator Heller (NV) introduced S. 43, the Native American Health Savings Improvement Act , allow Native Americans who are eligible for Indian Health Services to participate in Health Savings Plans.
Water: Representative Valadao (CA-21) and several California co-sponsors introduced H.R. 23, the “Gaining Responsibility on Water” or GROW Act. The bill establishes a structure of collaboration and consultation among federal, state, local, and tribal governments to deal with scarcity of water in the Central Valley and Southern California. The language of the bill affirms that “nothing in this title limits or expands any water right or treaty right of any federally recognized Indian tribe.” However, some of the state permits required of tribes that hold water rights protected by treaties with the federal government may be seen as infringements on sovereignty.
