Politics

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs schedules business meeting

Monday, June 20, 2016

The Colville Tribes of Washington suffered heavy damage from the North Star Fire in the fall of 2015. Photo from Facebook

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is holding a business meeting on Wednesday to consider pending legislation.

Three bills are on the agenda. They follow:

• S.2785, the Tribal Youth and Community Protection Act. The measure expands on the Violence Against Women Act by recognizing the "inherent authority" of tribes to arrest, prosecute and sentence any person -- regardless of race -- for drug crimes and domestic violence against children. The committee held a hearing on the bill on May 18.
• S.2920, the Tribal Law and Order Reauthorization Act. The bill extends key provisions of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 to improve justice and safety in Indian Country. A The committee held a hearing was held on May 18.
• S.3014, the Tribal Forestry Participation and Protection Act. The bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to work more closely with tribes on the management of federal forest lands. The committee held a hearing on June 8.

The business meeting takes place at 2:15pm in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. It will be immediately followed by an oversight hearing on on the USDA's rural development efforts in Indian Country.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notices:
Business Meeting to Consider S. 2785, S. 2920 & S. 3014 (June 22, 2016)
Oversight Hearing on "Accessing USDA Rural Development Programs in Native Communities (June 22, 2016)