[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3973 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.3973
One Hundred Fourth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six
An Act
To provide for a study of the recommendations of the Joint Federal-State
Commission on Policies and Programs Affecting Alaska Natives.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY.
The Congress finds and declares the following:
(1) The Joint Federal-State Commission on Policies and Programs
Affecting Alaska Natives (hereafter in this Act referred to as the
``Alaska Natives Commission'') was established by Public Law 101-
379 (42 U.S.C. 2991a note) following the publication in 1989 of the
``Report on the Status of Alaska Natives: A Call for Action'' by
the Alaska Federation of Natives and after extensive congressional
hearings which focused on the need for the first comprehensive
assessment of the social, cultural, and economic condition of
Alaska's 86,000 Natives since the enactment of the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act, Public Law 92-203.
(2) The 14-member Alaska Natives Commission held 15 regional
hearings throughout Alaska between July 1992 and October 1993, and
2 statewide hearings in Anchorage coinciding with the Conventions
of 1992 and 1993 of the Alaska Federation of Natives. In May 1994,
the Alaska Natives Commission issued its 3 volume, 440 page report.
As required by Public Law 101-379, the report was formally conveyed
to the Congress, the President of the United States, and the
Governor of Alaska.
(3) The Alaska Natives Commission found that many Alaska Native
individuals, families, and communities were experiencing a social,
cultural, and economic crisis marked by rampant unemployment, lack
of economic opportunity, alcohol abuse, depression, and morbidity
and mortality rates that have been described by health care
professionals as ``staggering''.
(4) The Alaska Natives Commission found that due to the high
rate of unemployment and lack of economic opportunities for Alaska
Natives, government programs for the poor have become the
foundation of many village economies. Displacing traditional Alaska
Native social safety nets, these well-meaning programs have
undermined the healthy interdependence and self-sufficiency of
Native tribes and families and have put Native tribes and families
at risk of becoming permanent dependencies of Government.
(5) Despite these seemingly insurmountable problems, the Alaska
Natives Commission found that Alaska Natives, building on the
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, had begun a unique process of
critical self-examination which, if supported by the United States
Congress through innovative legislation, and effective public
administration at all levels including traditional Native
governance, could provide the basis for an Alaska Native social,
cultural, economic, and spiritual renewal.
(6) The Alaska Natives Commission recognized that the key to
the future well-being of Alaska Natives lay in--
(A) the systematic resumption of responsibility by Alaska
Natives for the well-being of their members,
(B) the strengthening of their economies,
(C) the strengthening, operation, and control of their
systems of governance, social services, education, health care,
and law enforcement, and
(D) exercising rights they have from their special
relationship with the Federal Government and as citizens of the
United States and Alaska.
(7) The Alaska Natives Commission recognized that the following
3 basic principles must be respected in addressing the myriad of
problems facing Alaska Natives:
(A) Self-reliance.
(B) Self-determination.
(C) Integrity of Native cultures.
(8) There is a need to address the problems confronting Alaska
Natives. This should be done rapidly, with certainty, and in
conformity with the real economic, social, and cultural needs of
Alaska Natives.
(9) Congress retains and has exercised its constitutional
authority over Native affairs in Alaska subsequent to the Treaty of
Cession and does so now through this Act.
SEC. 2. ALASKA NATIVE IMPLEMENTATION STUDY.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds and declares that--
(1) the Alaska Natives Commission adopted certain
recommendations raising important policy questions which are
unresolved in Alaska and which require further study and review
before Congress considers legislation to implement solutions to
address these recommendations; and
(2) the Alaska Federation of Natives is the representative body
of statewide Alaska Native interests best suited to further
investigate and report to Congress with proposals to implement the
recommendations of the Alaska Natives Commission.
(b) Grant.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall make a
grant to the Alaska Federation of Natives to conduct the study and
submit the report required by this section. Such grant may only be made
if the Alaska Federation of Natives agrees to abide by the requirements
of this section.
(c) Study.--Pursuant to subsection (b), the Alaska Federation of
Natives shall--
(1) examine the recommendations of the Alaska Natives
Commission;
(2) examine initiatives in the United States, Canada, and
elsewhere for successful ways that issues similar to the issues
addressed by the Alaska Natives Commission have been addressed;
(3) conduct hearings within the Alaska Native community on
further ways in which the Commission's recommendations might be
implemented; and
(4) recommend enactment of specific provisions of law and other
actions the Congress should take to implement such recommendations.
(d) Consideration of Local Control.--In developing its
recommendations pursuant to subsection (c)(4), the Alaska Federation of
Natives shall give specific attention to the ways in which the
recommendations may be achieved at the local level with maximum local
control of the implementation of the recommendations.
(e) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date on which the
grant is made under subsection (b), the Alaska Federation of Natives
shall submit a report on the study conducted under this section,
together with the recommendations developed pursuant to subsection
(c)(4), to the President and the Congress and to the Governor and
legislature of the State of Alaska. In addition, the Alaska Federation
of Natives shall make the report available to Alaska Native villages
and organizations and to the general public.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $350,000 for the grant under subsection (b).
(g) Additional State Funding.--The Congress encourages the State of
Alaska to provide the additional funding necessary for the completion
of the study under this section.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.