[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 74 (Wednesday, May 11, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S2710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. BARRASSO (for himself and Mr. McCain):
  S. 2920. A bill to amend the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 and the 
Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act to provide for advancements in public 
safety services to Indian communities, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Indian Affairs.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on the Tribal Law 
and Order Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2016. Senator 
McCain and I are introducing this important piece of legislation to 
enhance public safety efforts in American Indian and Alaska Native 
communities.
  I want to thank Senator McCain for his leadership, as a former 
Chairman and a current Member of the Senate Committee on Indian 
Affairs, on this issue. He has been a staunch advocate for safe Indian 
communities, particularly for the children.
  This bill would build on the improvements made by the Tribal Law and 
Order Act of 2010 passed by Congress to address the unconscionably high 
crime rates in these communities. The Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 
was intended to be a first step in the right direction in improving the 
effectiveness of criminal justice systems in Indian Country.
  The Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 was based on five fundamental 
principles: to increase the Federal response and accountability; 
encourage greater cooperation between tribal, Federal, and State law 
enforcement; provide tribal justice officials with additional tools to 
combat crime; improve Federal programs to strengthen tribal justice 
systems; and improve data collection and information sharing relating 
to Indian Country crime.
  Since that time, numerous reports have been issued by the Departments 
of the Interior, Justice, and Health and Human Services as required by 
the act. The Committee has held oversight hearings on public safety 
issues in Indian communities, including a field hearing in my home 
state of Wyoming on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The Committee 
also held a roundtable with many stakeholders regarding the next steps 
needed for improving justice systems in these communities.
  The testimony and discussions were clear that the crime rates have 
diminished some but still remain unacceptably high on too many 
reservations. Likewise, barriers for Indian law enforcement agencies 
still exist to accessing criminal databases, sharing information, 
receiving required reports, training, and technical assistance. The 
Committee received testimony on the need for more resources to develop 
various part of tribal justice systems including jury trials and public 
defenders services.
  Most notably, the testimony indicated that alcohol and substance 
abuse were contributing factors in nearly all crimes in Indian 
communities. Several witnesses, including U.S. Attorney Christopher 
``Kip'' Crofts from my home state of Wyoming, highlighted the need to 
address this problem to improve public safety.
  The most troubling aspect of the reports, the discussions, and the 
hearings is that the children face the most heartbreaking situations. 
In particular, American Indian and Alaska Native juveniles are 
overrepresented in Federal and State juvenile justice systems. In 
addition, there is a lack of training, collaborgion, communication, and 
cooperation among agencies regarding juvenile justice for these youth.
  The tribal youth in the Federal system may spend more time in secure 
confinement than youth in the state systems, sometimes by several 
years. Tribal youth in the Federal system may also be placed in 
facilities which can be located far away from their communities and 
families. On top of this, appropriate services for tribal youth in the 
Federal system may be unavailable as well.
  Tribal leaders have expressed concerns to me that they do not want to 
lose a generation of their people. It is incumbent upon Congress and 
the administration to do everything we can to help these young people 
turn their lives around.
  For these reasons, we introduced this bill to work toward safer 
communities and provide more accountability from the Federal agencies 
which have a trust responsibility to the Indian tribes and their 
members.
  The bill would address Federal accountability; increase data sharing 
and access to data bases; support alternatives in detention; 
reauthorize and build on resources for public safety efforts; and 
improve justice for Indian youth. It would also assist Indian tribes in 
addressing violent and drug crimes through Federal courts.
  This is the type of bill that we can all get behind and get signed 
into law this year. I urge Members to join me in the effort to improve 
the lives of Indian people through these stronger public safety 
measures.

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