[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 76 (Thursday, May 8, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S3976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. AKAKA (for himself and Mr. Inouye):
  S. 3000. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to include 
Federally recognized tribal organizations in certain grant programs of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs for the several States and 
territories, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I proudly introduce, along with my 
good friend and colleague, the senior Senator from Hawaii, Senator 
Daniel Inouye, the Native American Veterans Access Act. This measure 
would provide equitable veterans' services to Native Americans by 
allowing tribal governments to apply for veterans' program grants 
currently limited to States, and in some cases, even U.S. Territories.
  Native veterans have a long history of honorable and extraordinary 
service in our national defense. From the American Indians who served 
alongside General George Washington, to Nainoa Hoe, a Native Hawaiian 
soldier who was killed on patrol in Iraq while carrying the battle flag 
his father held in Vietnam, native veterans have served bravely and 
honorably.
  Unfortunately, too often our Nation's track record in serving native 
veterans does not match their service. Especially in the case of native 
veterans who return to their ancestral homelands, reservation 
communities, or tribal villages, many native veterans are 
geographically and culturally disconnected from the services provided 
by State and Federal veterans' programs.
  Part of the problem is that veterans' programs are not always 
designed with native veterans in mind. For example, while the 
Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Labor operate several 
exemplary veterans' grant programs for State governments, most of these 
programs are not open to tribal governments. The bill I am introducing 
today would address this issue, by giving tribal governments access to 
many of these important programs.
  First, my bill would provide access to VA's two nursing home grants, 
which help local governments construct veterans' nursing homes and pay 
for nursing home care, adult day care, domiciliary care, and hospital 
care. It is important that tribal governments be included in these 
grants, given the expected rise in the number of older native veterans. 
The U.S. Census projects that while the overall number of older 
veterans will decrease by 10 percent by 2020, during that same period 
the number of older native veterans will increase by 60 percent. This 
expected boom in older native veterans makes it important that we give 
tribal governments the same opportunities we already provide State 
governments to care for their elder veterans.
  My bill would also give the Secretary of Labor discretion to include 
tribal governments in Veterans Employment and Training programs and 
grants. Veterans' employment services are much needed among native 
veterans, and in Indian Country. Census data indicates that American 
Indian and Alaska Native veterans are twice as likely as other veterans 
to be unemployed. For those veterans living on-reservation, the labor 
market is shamefully dismal: a recently published report from the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs found on-reservation unemployment to be 49 
percent. That unemployment rate is twice as high as national 
unemployment was during the worst year of the Great Depression. Surely 
it is not too much to ask that tribal governments in these 
circumstances be considered for the veterans' employment programs 
States and U.S. Territories already have access to.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting these measures, as we 
work towards parity in access and benefits for Native American 
veterans.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
placed in the Recrod, as follows:

                                S. 3000

       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 ``Native American Veterans 
     Access Act of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBAL 
                   ORGANIZATIONS IN CERTAIN GRANT PROGRAMS OF THE 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR THE STATES 
                   AND TERRITORIES.

       (a) Treatment of Tribal Organization Health Facilities as 
     State Homes.--Section 8138 of title 38, United States Code, 
     is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new 
     subsection (e):
       ``(e)(1) A health facility (or certain beds in a health 
     facility) of a tribal organization is treatable as a State 
     home under subsection (a) in accordance with the provisions 
     of that subsection.
       ``(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), the provisions 
     of this section shall apply to a health facility (or certain 
     beds in such facility) treated as a State home under 
     subsection (a) by reason of this subsection to the same 
     extent as health facilities (or beds) treated as a State home 
     under subsection (a).
       ``(3) Subsection (f) shall not apply to the treatment of 
     health facilities (or certain beds in such facilities) of 
     tribal organizations as a State home under subsection (a).
       ``(4) In this subsection, the term `tribal organization' 
     has the meaning given such term in section 3764(4) of this 
     title.''.
       (b) State Home Facilities for Domiciliary, Nursing, and 
     Other Care.--
       (1) In general.--Chapter 81 of such title is further 
     amended--
       (A) in section 8131, by adding at the end the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(5) The term `tribal organization' has the meaning given 
     such term in section 3764(4) of this title.'';
       (B) in section 8132, by inserting ``and tribal 
     organizations'' after ``the several States''; and
       (C) by inserting after section 8133 the following new 
     section:

     ``Sec. 8133A. Tribal organizations

       ``(a) The Secretary may make grants to tribal organizations 
     under this subchapter in order to carry out the purposes of 
     this subchapter.
       ``(b) Grants to tribal organizations under this section 
     shall be made in the same manner, and under the same 
     conditions, as grants made to the several States under the 
     provisions of this subchapter, subject to such exceptions as 
     the Secretary shall prescribe for purposes of this subchapter 
     to take into account the unique circumstances of tribal 
     organizations.''.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 81 of such title is amended by inserting 
     after the item relating to section 8133 the following new 
     item:

``8133A. Tribal organizations.''.

       (c) Job Counseling, Training and Placement Services for 
     Veterans.--Section 4101 of such title is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``tribal 
     organizations,'' after ``to the extent determined necessary 
     and feasible,''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(9) The term `tribal organization' has the meaning given 
     such term in section 3764(4) of this title.''.




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