[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 40 (Monday, March 15, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2665-S2666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CAMPBELL:
  S. 612. A bill to provide for periodic Indian needs assessments, to 
require Federal Indian program evaluations; and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Indian Affairs.


Indian Needs Assessment, Program Evaluation and Policy Coordination Act 
                                of 1999

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by 
Senator Inouye in introducing the Indian Needs Assessment, Program 
Evaluation and Policy Coordination Act of 1999 to bring about needed 
reforms in the way Indian programs are designed and funded.
  As the annual funding debates over Indian programs show us year after 
year, rational and equitable funding decisions are made more difficult 
because of the lack of accurate and up to date information about the 
needs of tribal governments and tribal members.
  The ability of the Congress to target unmet needs and make available 
adequate funds for tribes and tribal members is directly related to the 
quantity and quality of information available about the type and degree 
of demand for federal programs and services.
  Within one year of the enactment of this Act, and every 5 years 
thereafter, each Federal agency or department is required to conduct an 
``Indian Needs Assessment'' (``INA'') aimed at determining the needs of 
tribes and Indians eligible for programs and services administered by 
such agency or department.
  To facilitate information collection and analysis, the bill requires 
the development of a uniform method, criteria and procedures for 
determining, analyzing, and compiling the program and service needs of 
tribes and Indians.
  The resulting ``Indian Needs Assessments'' are to 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.
  In addition to a Needs Assessment, the bill also requires that each 
Federal agency or department responsible for providing services to 
Indians file an ``Annual Indian Program Evaluation'' (``AIPE'') with 
these same committees. The AIPE will measure the performance and 
effectiveness of the programs under the jurisdiction of that agency or 
department, and include recommendations as to how such programs can be 
improved.
  I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the bill be printed in the 
Record and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 612

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House or 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 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;

[[Page S2666]]

       (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 programs or 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.
       (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) to require that Federal agencies and departments 
     carefully review and monitor the effectiveness of the 
     programs and services provided to Indians;
       (3) to 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) to 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; and
       (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;
       (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 (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 years 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.

       (a) 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.
                                 ______