Senate Committee on Indian Affairs schedules second business meeting

Monday, February 4, 2019  

By Acee Agoyo

As promised, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is holding its second business meeting of the 116th Congress.

Members plan to adopt a budget resolution at the meeting on Wednesday. The resolution wasn't ready in time for the committee's first meeting on January 29 so it delayed to this week.

In addition to the budget, members plan to advance three pieces of legislation at the meeting. The list follows:

• S.256, the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act. The bill, named in honor of the late Esther Martinez, an Ohkay Owingeh linguist and educator, will provide $13 million a year for Native language programs.

• S.257, the Tribal HUD-VASH Act. The bill will permanently authorize a program to provide services and rental assistance to Native veterans, particularly those who are homeless or at risk. HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) is a joint initiative of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

• S.294, the Native American Business Incubators Program Act. The bill establishes a competitive grant program within the Department of the Interior to foster economic development in Indian Country.

All three bills, which enjoy bipartisan support, had been passed by the Senate during the 115th Congress. But the House never brought them up for consideration before the last session concluded in December 2018.

The business meeting takes place at 2:30pm Eastern in Room 628 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building. It will be broadcast on the committee's website.

The committee's first meeting last week saw the advancement of 12 Indian Country bills. The list follows:

• S.46, the Klamath Tribe Judgment Fund Repeal Act

• S.50, the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act

• S.51, the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians Restoration Act of 2019

• S.199, the Leech Lake Band Of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act

• S.207, to enhance tribal road safety, and for other purposes

• S.209, the PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act

• S.210, the Tribal Law and Order Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2019

• S.211, the SURVIVE Act

• S.212, the Indian Community Economic Enhancement Act

• S.216, the Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Equitable Compensation Act

• S.224, to provide for the conveyance of certain property to the Tanana Tribal Council located in Tanana, Alaska, and to the Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation located in Dillingham, Alaska, and for other purposes

• S.226, the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2019

All of the 12 bills had either passed the full Senate or the committee during the 115th Congress.

Business Meeting to Consider S. 256, S. 257, S. 294, and Committee Budget Resolution (February 6, 2018)