[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 16, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S3407]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                  FEDERAL-TRIBAL NEGOTIATED RULEMAKING

 Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I rise to inform my colleagues that 
later today I will ask their unanimous consent to hold at the desk and 
pass H.R. 3034, a measure that was passed by the House by consent. H.R. 
3034 is identical to S. 1608, a measure I and Senator Inouye introduced 
on March 12, 1996. S. 1608 was referred to the Committee on Indian 
Affairs, which I chair.
  My full statement explaining the bill appeared at page S1867 of the 
March 12 Congressional Record. While I regret that it is necessary, I 
support the 60-day extension of authority to the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate 
regulations implementing the Indian Self-Determination Contract Reform 
Act of 1994 under negotiated rulemaking procedures.
  In the 1994 act, the Congress required the administration to involve 
the Indian tribes, under negotiated rulemaking procedures, in the 
development of these regulations within an 18-month period that expires 
on April 25, 1996. The pending bill would extend that period to June 
25, 1996.
  Many of the Indian tribes who have been involved in the negotiated 
rulemaking process have sought the extension in order to provide them 
adequate time to respond to the public comment received from the draft 
regulations published on January 24, 1996. The administration has 
joined them in requesting a 2-month extension to the 18-month period 
provided by the statute to promulgate regulations. Their request is 
worthy of support and I urge my colleagues to consent to its 
passage.

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