[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 193 (Tuesday, November 28, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INDIAN EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING AND RELATED SERVICES CONSOLIDATION BILL

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, today I wish to discuss a bill that has 
been worked on for years. H.R. 228 will help tribes streamline what are 
called 477 programs. Recently, a question was raised about the Head 
Start program and its possible inclusion in 477 plans. I do not think 
that Head Start services are eligible for incorporation into 477 plans. 
I ask unanimous consent that the letter from Congressman Don Young and 
me to the Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                November 27, 2017.
     Hon. Ryan Zinke,
     Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Secretary Zinke, We write today to provide information 
     about our legislation, the Indian Employment, Training and 
     Related Services Consolidation Act (H.R. 228 as passed the 
     House / S. 91 as reported by committee in the Senate). Our 
     legislation has bipartisan backing and the support of a broad 
     coalition of tribes and tribal organizations.
       During consideration of the legislation, a question was 
     raised as to whether any Head Start services would be 
     eligible for incorporation into a tribal ``477 Plan'' under 
     H.R. 228 / S. 91. The answer is no--Head Start is an early 
     childhood education program, and does not fit into any of the 
     categories of eligible programs' purposes that are listed in 
     Section 6 of the bills. Head Start services are not eligible 
     under current law for incorporation into tribal 477 plans, 
     and will not be eligible under our legislation.
       We wanted to take the opportunity to provide this 
     background should it be helpful in the future.
           Sincerely,
     Don Young,
       Congressman for All Alaska.
     Lisa Murkowski,
       U.S. Senator.

  Mr. UDALL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in 
the Record the following letters from Senator Hoeven and me to the 
chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions, and from Margaret Zientek to Senator 
Murkowski and Congressman Young.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                      U.S. Senate,


                                  Committee on Indian Affairs,

                                Washington, DC, November 28, 2017.
     Senator Lamar Alexander,
     Chairman.
     Senator Patty Murray,
     Ranking Member,
     Committee Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
       Senators: As the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the 
     Committee of jurisdiction, we affirmatively state for the 
     record our agreement with the Tribal Working Group's analysis 
     dated November 27, 2017 that Head Start program administered 
     by the Department of Health and Human Services is not a 
     program that is eligible under Public Law 102-477 or H.R. 
     228/S. 91.
           Sincerely,
     John Hoeven,
       Chairman.
     Tom Udall,
       Vice Chairman.
                                  ____

                                               Public Law 102-477,


                                             Tribal Workgroup,

                                                November 27, 2017.
       Dear Senator Murkowski and Congressman Young: A question 
     has arisen whether Public Law 102-477, or either H.R. 228 or 
     S. 91, reaches the Headstart program administered by the 
     Department of Health and Human Services. It is our 
     understanding that neither the current law nor either bill 
     authorizes the inclusion of the Headstart program in a 
     ``477'' plan.
       Thank you for your continued advocacy on these critical 
     bills.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Margaret Zientek,
     Co-Chair P.L. 102-477 Tribal Work.

                          ____________________