[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.