[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 194 (Wednesday, November 29, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               AMBER ALERT IN INDIAN COUNTRY ACT OF 2017

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 209, S. 772.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 772) to amend the PROTECT Act to make Indian 
     tribes eligible for AMBER Alert grants.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill 
be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider 
be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 772) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 772

       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 ``AMBER Alert in Indian 
     Country Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. AMBER ALERT GRANTS FOR INDIAN TRIBES.

       Section 304 of the PROTECT Act (42 U.S.C. 5791c) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``and Indian tribes'' 
     after ``States'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
       ``(4) the integration of State or regional AMBER Alert 
     communication plans with an Indian tribe; and'';
       (3) in subsection (c)--
       (A) by striking ``The Federal'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
     Federal''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) Waiver of federal share.--If the Attorney General 
     determines that an Indian tribe does not have sufficient 
     funds available to comply with the Federal share requirement 
     under paragraph (1) for the cost of activities funded by a 
     grant for the purpose described in subsection (b)(4), the 
     Attorney General may increase the Federal share of the costs 
     for such activities to the extent the Attorney General 
     determines necessary.'';
       (4) in subsection (e), by striking ``for grants under'' and 
     inserting ``and standards to improve accountability and 
     transparency for grants awarded under'';
       (5) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g);
       (6) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
       ``(f) Definition of Indian Tribe.--In this section, the 
     term `Indian tribe' means a federally recognized Indian tribe 
     or a Native village, Regional Corporation, or Village 
     Corporation (as those terms are defined in section 3 of the 
     Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602)).''; and
       (7) in subsection (g)(1), as so redesignated--
       (A) by striking ``2004'' each place it appears and 
     inserting ``2018''; and
       (B) by striking ``subsection (b)(3)'' and inserting 
     ``paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection (b)''.

     SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

       Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Attorney General shall submit a report evaluating 
     the readiness, education, and training needs, technological 
     challenges, and specific obstacles encountered by Indian 
     tribes in the integration of State or regional AMBER Alert 
     communication plans to--
       (1) the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate;
       (2) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
       (3) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (4) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
     Representatives.

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