[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 67 (Wednesday, May 22, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S4726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. MURKOWSKI (for himself and Mr. Stevens):
  S. 2553. A bill to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to 
provide equitable treatment of Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation 
that will finally bring closure to the concerns of many Alaska Native 
veterans who served their country during the Vietnam war.
  When the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, ANCSA, was signed into 
law by President Nixon in 1971, many Alaska Natives were serving in our 
military. Because of their service, many were unable to apply for 
Native land allotments under the Native Allotment Act, a program that 
was ended with the enactment of ANCSA. Alaska Natives who did not serve 
during the Vietnam conflict were able to apply for lands under the 
Native Allotment Act but those who did serve had little chance to apply 
under the circumstances.
  I think everyone here will agree that allowing these veterans the 
same advantages as those who did not serve in the military during the 
Vietnam conflict is only fair. The main problem is that when we first 
addressed this inequity in 1998, the terms we set were so restrictive 
that presently only 60 out of a possible 1,110 veterans who could 
qualify even have the chance of receiving an allotment. That is a 
paltry 5 percent of all that could have otherwise qualified. This is 
simply not acceptable. My legislation addresses the restrictive terms 
we unknowingly set in the 1998 amendment in three ways: First, my 
legislation will expand the military service dates of the program so 
that they coincide with the official dates of the Vietnam conflict. We 
ought not to complicate matters by using any dates other than those 
that the Veteran's Administration has officially determined are within 
the Vietnam conflict era. Those dates are August 5, 1964 through May 7, 
1975.
  Secondly, my legislation will replace the current use and occupancy 
requirements with a simplified approval process, just like the one 
established under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. 
By adopting the same legislative approval process that other allotment 
programs used, this legislation will avoid the lengthy delays, costly 
adjudications and burdensome requirements that Alaska Native veterans 
are currently facing. If we do not correct this particular problem now, 
many Alaska Native veterans will die before they ever have their 
applications approved. We cannot allow this to happen to them.
  Finally, my legislation will extend the application deadline and 
expand the available land choices so that the Alaska Native veterans 
who could qualify for allotments will have the time and allotment 
options they need in order to participate.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in making these simple, common 
sense changes so that this group of veterans can secure the land 
allotments they deserve.

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