[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 612 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 612

 To provide for periodic Indian needs assessments, to require Federal 
          Indian program evaluations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 15, 1999

  Mr. Campbell (for himself and Mr. Inouye) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for periodic Indian needs assessments, to require Federal 
          Indian program evaluations, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Indian Needs Assessment and Program 
Evaluation Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS, PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) the United States and the Indian tribes have a unique 
        legal and political government-to-government relationship;
            (2) pursuant to the Constitution, treaties, statutes, 
        Executive order, court decisions, and course of conduct, the 
        United States has a trust obligation to provide certain 
        services to Indian tribes and to Indians;
            (3) Federal agencies charged with administering programs 
        and providing services to or for the benefit of Indians have 
        not furnished Congress with adequate information necessary to 
        assess such program on the needs of Indians and Indian tribes;
            (4) such lack of information has hampered the ability of 
        the Congress to determine the nature, type, and magnitude of 
        such needs as well as its ability to respond to them; and
            (5) Congress cannot properly fulfill its obligation to 
        Indian tribes and Indian people unless and until it has an 
        adequate store of information related to the needs of Indians 
        nationwide.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to--
            (1) ensure that Indian needs for Federal programs and 
        services are known in a more certain and predictable fashion;
            (2) require that Federal agencies and departments carefully 
        review and monitor the effectiveness of the programs and 
        services provided to Indians;
            (3) provide for more efficient and effective cooperation 
        and coordination of, and accountability from, the agencies and 
        departments providing programs and services, including 
        technical and business development assistance, to Indians; and
            (4) provide Congress with reliable information regarding 
        both Indian needs and the evaluation of Federal programs and 
        services provided to Indians nationwide.

SEC. 3. INDIAN TRIBAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

    (a) Indian Tribal Needs Assessments.--In general--
            (1) Within 180 days after the enactment of this Act, the 
        Secretary, in consultation and coordination with the 
        Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Labor, 
        Justice, Treasury, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs, the 
        Environmental Protection Agency, other relevant agencies, 
        offices, and departments, shall develop a uniform method, 
        criteria, and procedures for determining, analyzing, and 
        compiling the program and service assistance needs of Indian 
        tribes and Indians nationwide. The needs assessment shall 
        address, but not be limited to, the following:
                    (A) The total population of the tribe(s), and the 
                population of tribal members located in the service 
                area, where applicable.
                    (B) The size of the service area.
                    (C) The location of the service area.
                    (D) The availability of similar programs within the 
                geographical area to tribes or tribal members.
                    (E) Socio-economic conditions that exist within the 
                service area.
            (2) The Secretary shall consult with tribal governments in 
        establishing and conducting the needs assessment mandated by 
        this Act.
            (3) Within 1 year of the enactment of this Act, and every 
        five (5) years thereafter, each Federal agency or department, 
        in coordination with the Secretary, shall conduct an Indian 
        Needs Assessment (``INA'') aimed at determining the actual 
        needs of Indian tribes and Indians eligible for programs and 
        services administered by such agency or department.
            (4) The Indian Needs Assessment developed pursuant to 
        subsection (c)(3) above shall be filed with the Committees on 
        Appropriations and Indian Affairs of the Senate, and the 
        Committees on Appropriations and Resources of the House of 
        Representatives on February 1 of each year in which it is to be 
        submitted.
    (b) Federal Agency Indian Tribal Program Evaluation.
            (1) Within 180 days of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
        shall develop a uniform method, criteria, and procedures for 
        compiling, maintaining, keeping current and reporting to 
        Congress all information concerning--
                    (A) the agency or department annual expenditure for 
                programs and services for which Indians are eligible, 
                with specific information regarding the names of tribes 
                who are currently participating in or receiving each 
                service, the names of tribes who have applied for and 
                not received programs or services, and the names of 
                tribes whose services or programs have been terminated 
                within the last fiscal year;
                    (B) services or programs specifically for the 
                benefit of Indians, with specific information regarding 
                the names of tribes who are currently participating in 
                or receiving each service, the names of tribes who have 
                applied for and not received programs or services, and 
                the names of tribes whose services or programs have 
                been terminated within the last fiscal year; and
                    (C) the agency or department method of delivery of 
                such services and funding, including a detailed 
                explanation of the outreach efforts of each agency or 
                department to Indian tribes.
            (2) Within 1 year of the enactment of this Act, and 
        annually thereafter, each Federal agency or department 
        responsible for providing services or programs to or for the 
        benefit of Indian tribes or Indians shall file an Annual Indian 
        Program Evaluation (``AIPE'') with the Committees on 
        Appropriations and Indian Affairs of the Senate, and the 
        Committees on Appropriations and Resources of the House of 
        Representatives.
    (c) Annual Listing of Tribal Eligible Programs.--On or before 
February 1 of each calendar year, those Federal agencies or departments 
mentioned in subsection (b)(2) above, shall develop and publish in the 
Federal Register a list of all programs and services offered by such 
agency or department for which Indian tribes or their members are or 
may be eligible, and shall provide a brief explanation of the program 
or service.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall, within 1 year of the 
enactment of this Act, develop and submit to the Committees on 
Appropriations and Indian Affairs of the Senate, and the Committees on 
Appropriations and Resources of the House of Representatives a report 
detailing the coordination of Federal program and service assistance 
for which Indian tribes and their members are eligible.
    (b) Strategic Plan.--The Secretary shall, within 18 months after 
the enactment of this Act, and after consultation and coordination with 
the Indian tribes, file a Strategic Plan for the Coordination of 
Federal Assistance for Indians.
    (c) Contents of Strategic Plan.--The Plan required under this Act 
shall contain: (1) Identification of reforms necessary to the laws, 
regulations, policies, procedures, practices, and systems of the 
agencies involved; (2) proposals for remedying the reforms identified 
in the Plan; and (3) other recommendations consistent with the purposes 
of the Act.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Beginning in fiscal year 2001 and for each fiscal year thereafter, 
there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to 
carry out this Act.
                                 <all>