[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 229 (Friday, November 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70934-70935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28155]


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UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION


Request for Applications; Tribal Issues Advisory Group

AGENCY: United States Sentencing Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission has decided to establish a Tribal Issues 
Advisory Group as an ad hoc advisory group pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 995 
and Rule 5.4 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure. 
Having adopted a formal charter for the Tribal Issues Advisory Group, 
the Commission is constituting the at-large voting membership of the 
advisory group under that charter. To be eligible to serve as an at-
large voting member, an individual must have expertise, knowledge, and/
or experience in the issues considered by the Tribal Issues Advisory 
Group as indicated in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section

[[Page 70935]]

below. The Commission hereby invites any individual who is eligible to 
be appointed to the at-large voting membership of the Tribal Issues 
Advisory Group to apply. Applications should be received by the 
Commission not later than January 9, 2015. Applications may be sent to 
the Commission as indicated in the ADDRESSES section below.

DATES: Applications for the at-large voting membership of the Tribal 
Issues Advisory Group should be received not later than January 9, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Applications for the at-large voting membership of the 
Tribal Issues Advisory Group should include a letter of interest and 
resume, and be sent to the Commission by electronic mail or regular 
mail. The email address is [email protected]. The regular mail 
address is United States Sentencing Commission, One Columbus Circle 
NE., Suite 2-500, South Lobby, Washington, DC 20002-8002, Attention: 
Public Affairs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeanne Doherty, Public Affairs 
Officer, 202-502-4502, [email protected]. More information about the 
Tribal Issues Advisory Group (including the advisory group charter) is 
available on the Commission's Web site at www.ussc.gov/advisory-groups.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Sentencing Commission is 
an independent agency in the judicial branch of the United States 
Government. The Commission promulgates sentencing guidelines and policy 
statements for federal sentencing courts pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 994(a). 
The Commission also periodically reviews and revises previously 
promulgated guidelines pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 994(o) and submits 
guideline amendments to the Congress not later than the first day of 
May each year pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 994(p). Under 28 U.S.C. 995 and 
Rule 5.4 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, the 
Commission may create standing or ad hoc advisory groups to facilitate 
formal and informal input to the Commission. Upon creating an advisory 
group, the Commission may prescribe the policies regarding the purpose, 
membership, and operation of the group as the Commission deems 
necessary or appropriate.
    The Commission recently adopted a formal charter for the Tribal 
Issues Advisory Group. Under the charter, the purpose of the advisory 
group is:
    (1) To assist the Commission in carrying out its statutory 
responsibilities under 28 U.S.C. 994(o);
    (2) to provide to the Commission its views on federal sentencing 
issues relating to American Indian defendants and victims and to 
offenses committed in Indian Country;
    (3) to study:
    (A) the operation of the federal sentencing guidelines as they 
relate to American Indian defendants and victims and to offenses 
committed in Indian Country, and any viable methods for revising the 
guidelines to (i) improve their operation or (ii) address particular 
concerns of tribal communities and courts;
    (B) whether there are disparities in the application of the federal 
sentencing guidelines to American Indian defendants, and, if so, how to 
address them;
    (C) the impact of the federal sentencing guidelines on offenses 
committed in Indian Country in comparison with analogous offenses 
prosecuted in state courts and tribal courts;
    (D) the use of tribal court convictions in the computation of 
criminal history scores, risk assessment, and for other purposes;
    (E) how the federal sentencing guidelines should account for 
protection orders issued by tribal courts; and
    (F) any other issues relating to American Indian defendants and 
victims, or to offenses committed in Indian Country, that the advisory 
group considers appropriate;
    (4) to recommend to the Commission means to establish regular and 
meaningful consultation and collaboration with tribal officials in the 
development of sentencing policies that have tribal implications; and
    (5) to perform any other related functions as the Commission 
requests.
    The Tribal Issues Advisory Group shall consist of no more than 17 
voting members. Of those 17 voting members, not more than 3 shall be 
Federal judges, not more than 4 shall be from the Executive Branch, 1 
shall be from a federal public defender organization or community 
defender organization, and not more than 9 shall be at-large members. 
Each voting member is appointed by the Commission. To be eligible to 
serve as an at-large voting member, an individual must have expertise, 
knowledge, and/or experience in the issues considered by the Tribal 
Issues Advisory Group as described above. The Commission intends that 
the at-large voting membership shall include individuals with 
membership in or experience with tribal communities, national advocacy 
groups, legal academia (with expertise in Indian Law and Federal 
Criminal Law), legal practice (with expertise in Indian Law and Federal 
Criminal Law, including public or private criminal defense), American 
Indian crime victimization, federal probation, and federal corrections. 
The Commission further intends that: (1) No less than 3 at-large voting 
members shall be tribal officials, or their designees, appointed in a 
manner that ensures representation among tribal communities diverse in 
size, geographic location, and other unique characteristics; (2) no 
less than 2 at-large voting members shall be attorneys with experience 
in public or private criminal defense; and (3) no less than 1 at-large 
voting member shall be an individual with knowledge, expertise, and/or 
experience in the area of American Indian crime victimization.
    The Commission invites any individual who is eligible to be 
appointed to the at-large voting membership of the Tribal Issues 
Advisory Group to apply by sending a letter of interest and a resume to 
the Commission as indicated in the ADDRESSES section above.

    Authority: 28 U.S.C. 994(a), (o), (p), Sec.  995; USSC Rules of 
Practice and Procedure 5.2, 5.4.

Patti B. Saris,
Chair.
[FR Doc. 2014-28155 Filed 11-26-14; 8:45 am]
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