[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 748 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 748

  To improve Native hiring and contracting by the Federal Government 
          within the State of Alaska, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 25, 1999

 Mr. Murkowski introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To improve Native hiring and contracting by the Federal Government 
          within the State of Alaska, 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. REPORT.

    (a) Within six months after the enactment of this Act the Secretary 
of the Interior (hereinafter referred to as the ``Secretary'' shall 
submit a report detailing the progress the Department has made in the 
implementation of the provisions of sections 1307 and 1308 of the 
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and section 638 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The report 
shall include a detailed action plan on the future implementation of 
the provisions of sections 1307 and 1308 of the Alaska National 
Interest Lands Conservation Act and section 638 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act. The report shall describe, 
in detail, the measures and actions that will be taken, along with a 
description of the anticipated results to be achieved during the next 
three fiscal years. The report shall focus on lands under the 
jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior in Alaska and shall also 
address any laws, rules, regulations and policies which act as a 
deterrent to hiring Native Alaskans or contracting with Native Alaskans 
to perform and conduct activities and programs of those agencies and 
bureaus under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior.
    (b) The report shall be completed within existing appropriations 
and shall be transmitted to the Committee on Resources of the United 
States Senate; and the Committee on Resources of the United States 
House of Representatives.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) In furtherance of the goals of sections 1307 and 1308 of the 
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and the provisions of 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) implement pilot programs to employ residents of local 
        communities at the following units of the National Park System 
        located in northwest Alaska:
                    (A) Bering Land Bridge National Preserve,
                    (B) Cape Krusenstern National Monument,
                    (C) Kobuk Valley National Park, and
                    (D) Noatak National Preserve; and
            (2) report on the results of the programs within one year 
        to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United 
        States and the Committee on Resources of the House of 
        Representatives.
    (b) In implementing the programs, the Secretary shall consult with 
the Native Corporations, non-profit organizations, and Tribal entities 
in the immediate vicinity of such units and shall also, to the extent 
practicable, involve such groups in the development of interpretive 
materials and the pilot programs relating to such units.
    (c) The objective of such programs shall be, to the extent 
possible, to establish cooperative arrangements, through contracts or 
other means, that will allow local communities and residents to assume 
administrative and management responsibilities for those units, or 
portions of those units, of the National Park System in a manner that 
will accomplish the purposes for which the units were established and 
consistent with policies set forth in the Act of August 23, 1916 (39 
Stat. 535, 16 U.S.C. 1).
    (d) Park Service Employees.--(1) Any career employee of the 
National Park Service, employed at one of the Alaska northwest parks at 
the time of the transfer of an operation or program to a local Native 
entity by contract, shall not be separated from the Service by reason 
of such transfer.
    (2) Any career employee of he National Park Service employed at any 
one of the parks in northwest Alaska at the time of the transfer of an 
operation or program to a local Native entity shall be given priority 
placement for any available position within the National Park Service 
System notwithstanding any priority reemployment lists, directives, 
rules, regulations or other orders from the Department of the Interior, 
the Office of Management and Budget, or other Federal agencies.
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