[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2949 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2949
To establish the Mark O. Hatfield Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal
Governance Foundation and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 30, 2008
Mr. Smith introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Mark O. Hatfield Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal
Governance Foundation 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 ``Mark O. Hatfield Scholarship and
Excellence in Tribal Governance Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) Senator Mark O. Hatfield served the United States with
distinction and honor;
(2) Senator Hatfield has had a lasting impact on the
relationship between the United States and Native Americans,
restoring to Federal recognition the Grand Ronde, Coquille, Cow
Creek Band of Umpqua Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Coos,
Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, and Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians;
(3) Senator Hatfield has been a champion of the rights of
Native Americans and Alaska Natives and worked in Congress to
strengthen tribal self-governance; and
(4) it is a fitting tribute to the leadership, courage, and
bipartisan spirit that Senator Mark O. Hatfield exemplifies to
establish in his name programs to encourage excellence in
tribal government.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Board of Trustees
of the Foundation.
(2) Eligible individual.--The term ``eligible individual''
means a citizen or national of the United States or a permanent
resident alien of the United States.
(3) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the Mark O.
Hatfield Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance
Foundation established by section 4(a).
(4) Institute.--The term ``Institute'' means the Institute
for Tribal Government at Portland State University.
(5) Institute policy board.--The term ``Institute Policy
Board'' means the Institute Policy Board for the Institute for
Tribal Government at Portland State University.
(6) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(7) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) a State;
(B) the District of Columbia;
(C) American Samoa;
(D) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands;
(E) Guam;
(F) the Republic of the Marshall Islands;
(G) the Federal States of Micronesia;
(H) the Republic of Palau;
(I) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
(J) the United States Virgin Islands.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MARK O. HATFIELD SCHOLARSHIP AND
EXCELLENCE IN TRIBAL GOVERNANCE FOUNDATION.
(a) Establishment.--There is established as an independent entity
in the Executive branch the Mark O. Hatfield Scholarship and Excellence
in Tribal Governance Foundation.
(b) Board of Trustees.--
(1) In general.--The Foundation shall be subject to the
supervision and direction of a Board of Trustees.
(2) Membership.--The Board shall consist of the Institute
Policy Board.
(c) Location of Foundation.--The Foundation shall be located in
Portland, Oregon.
(d) Executive Director.--
(1) In general.--There shall be an Executive Director of
the Foundation, who shall be appointed by the Board.
(2) Duties.--The Executive Director--
(A) shall be the chief executive officer of the
Foundation; and
(B) shall carry out the functions of the
Foundation, subject to the supervision and direction of
the Board, and such other functions consistent with
this Act as the Board shall prescribe.
(3) Compensation.--The Executive Director may be
compensated at the rate specified for an employee in level IV
of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United
States Code.
SEC. 5. PURPOSES.
The purposes of the Foundation shall be--
(1) to develop resources to properly train Native American
and Alaska Native tribal council members in self-government and
related fields;
(2) to foster among people in the United States greater
recognition and understanding of the role of tribal self-
government in the development of the United States;
(3) to identify critical issues facing tribal governments;
(4) to establish a program for tribal governance research
at the Institute; and
(5) to provide educational outreach regarding tribal self-
government.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY OF THE FOUNDATION.
(a) In General.--The Foundation, in consultation with the
Institute, may identify and conduct such programs, activities, and
services as the Foundation considers appropriate to carry out the
purposes of the Foundation.
(b) Programs, Activities, and Services.--The Foundation may, in
accordance with this section--
(1) award scholarships, fellowships, internships, and
grants; and
(2) provide grants to the Institute to carry out and manage
other programs, activities, and services.
(c) National Competition.--The Foundation may provide, directly or
by contract, for the conduct of a national competition for the purpose
of selecting recipients of scholarships, fellowships, internships, and
grants awarded under this Act.
(d) Award of Scholarships, Fellowships, Internships, and Grants.--
(1) In general.--The Foundation may award scholarships,
fellowships, internships, and grants to eligible individuals
who meet the minimum criteria established by the Foundation,
for study in fields relating to tribal governance.
(2) Mark o. hatfield scholars.--Recipients of scholarships,
fellowships, internships, and grants under this Act shall be
known as ``Mark O. Hatfield Scholars''.
(e) Scholarships.--
(1) In general.--The Foundation may award scholarships to
outstanding--
(A) undergraduate students who intend to pursue
careers relating to tribal governance; and
(B) Native American and Alaska Native undergraduate
students who intend to pursue careers in tribal public
policy.
(2) Payments.--An eligible individual awarded a scholarship
under this Act may receive payments under this Act only during
such periods as the Foundation determines that the eligible
individual--
(A) is maintaining satisfactory proficiency and
devoting full time to study or research; and
(B) is not engaging in gainful employment other
than employment approved by the Foundation under
regulations of the Board.
(3) Reports.--
(A) In general.--The Foundation may require reports
containing such information, in such form, and to be
filed at such times as the Foundation determines to be
necessary from any eligible individual awarded a
scholarship under this Act.
(B) Certificate.--Except as otherwise provided
under this subsection, a report under subparagraph (A)
shall be accompanied by a certificate from an
appropriate official at the institution of higher
education, approved by the Foundation, stating that the
individual is making satisfactory progress in, and is
devoting essentially full time to, study or research.
(f) Fellowships.--The Foundation may award fellowships to--
(1) outstanding graduate students who intend to pursue
advanced degrees in fields relating to tribal governance;
(2) outstanding Native American and Alaska Native graduate
students who intend to pursue advanced degrees in tribal public
policy, law, or medicine; and
(3) faculty from a variety of disciplines to bring the
expertise of the faculty to the Foundation.
(g) Internships.--The Foundation may award internships to deserving
and qualified--
(1) individuals, for use in participating in internships in
Federal, State, and local agencies or in offices of major
tribal governance organizations; and
(2) Native American and Alaska Native individuals, for use
in participating in internships in Federal, State, and local
agencies or in offices of major public health or public policy
organizations.
(h) Grants.--The Foundation shall award grants to the Institute--
(1) to provide for an annual panel of experts to discuss
contemporary tribal governance issues;
(2) to conduct tribal governance policy research;
(3) to conduct research on Native American and Alaska
Native tribal public policy issues; and
(4) to invite visiting policymakers to share practical
experiences with the Foundation.
(i) Coordination.--The Foundation shall assist in the development
and implementation of a program for tribal governance research to be
located at the Institute.
(j) Program Priorities.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Foundation
shall determine--
(A) the priority of the programs to be carried out
under this Act; and
(B) the amount of funds to be allocated for the
programs.
(2) Requirements.--Of amounts made available to carry out
this section--
(A) not less than 50 percent shall be used for the
programs described in subsections (e), (f), and (g);
(B) not less than 20 percent shall be made
available to the Institute to carry out subsections (h)
and (i), on the conditions that--
(i) a 25-percent matching share is provided
from other non-Federal sources; and
(ii) adequate space at the Institute is
made available by the Institute for the
Executive Director and other appropriate staff
of the Foundation; and
(C) not more than 15 percent shall be used for
salaries and other administrative purposes.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary
to carry out this Act.
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