Sec. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JOINT COMMISSION ON REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME AGAINST INDIANS
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## SEC. 4 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JOINT COMMISSION ON REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME AGAINST INDIANS ###
(a)Establishment Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall establish and appoint all members of a joint commission on violent crime on Indian lands and against Indians. ###
(b)Membership; Operation ####
(1)Composition #####
(A)In general The Commission shall be composed of members who represent diverse experiences and backgrounds that provide balanced points of view with regard to the duties of the Commission. #####
(B)Diversity To the greatest extent practicable, the Secretary of the Interior shall ensure the Commission includes Tribal representatives from diverse geographic areas and of diverse sizes. ####
(2)Appointment The Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall appoint the members to the Commission, including representatives from— #####
(A)tribal law enforcement; #####
(B)the Office of Justice Services of the Bureau of Indian Affairs; #####
(C)State and local law enforcement in close proximity to Indian lands, with a letter of recommendation from a local Indian Tribe; #####
(D)the Victim Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; #####
(E)the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit; #####
(F)the Office of Violence Against Women of the Department of Justice; #####
(G)the Office of Victims of Crime of the Department of Justice; #####
(H)a United States attorney’s office with experience in cases related to missing persons, murder, or trafficking of Indians or on Indian land; #####
(I)the Administration for Native Americans of the Office of the Administration for Children & Families of the Department of Health and Human Services; #####
(J)the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services; #####
(K)a Tribal judge with experience in cases related to missing persons, murder, or trafficking; #####
(L)not fewer than 3 Indian Tribes from diverse geographic areas, including 1 Indian tribe located in Alaska, selected from nominations submitted by the Indian Tribe; #####
(M)not fewer than 2 health care and mental health practitioners and counselors and providers with experience in working with Indian survivors of trafficking and sexual assault, with a letter of recommendation from a local tribal chair or tribal law enforcement officer; #####
(N)not fewer than 3 national, regional, or urban Indian organizations focused on violence against women and children on Indian lands or against Indians; #####
(O)at least 2 Indian survivors of human trafficking; #####
(P)at least 2 family members of missing Indian people; #####
(Q)at least 2 family members of murdered Indian people; #####
(R)the National Institute of Justice; and #####
(S)the Indian Health Service. ####
(3)Periods of appointment Members shall be appointed for the duration of the Commission. ####
(4)Vacancies A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made and shall not affect the powers or duties of the Commission. ####
(5)Compensation Commission members shall serve without compensation. ####
(6)Travel expenses The Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall consider the provision of travel expenses, including per diem, to Commission members when appropriate. ####
(7)Gifts The Commission may accept and use gifts or donations of services or property from Indian tribes or Tribal entities, academic institutions, or other not-for-profit organizations as it considers necessary to carry out the duties of the Commission described in subsection (c). ###
(c)Duties ####
(1)In general The Commission may hold such hearings, meet and act at times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission considers to be advisable to carry out the duties of the Commission under this section. ####
(2)Recommendations for the department of interior and department of justice #####
(A)In general The Commission shall develop recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior and Attorney General on actions the Federal Government can take to help combat violent crime against Indians and within Indian lands, including the development and implementation of recommendations for— ######
(i)identifying, reporting, and responding to instances of missing persons, murder, and human trafficking on Indian lands and of Indians; ######
(ii)legislative and administrative changes necessary to use programs, properties, or other resources funded or operated by the Department of the Interior and Department of Justice to combat the crisis of missing or murdered Indians and human trafficking on Indian lands and of Indians; ######
(iii)tracking and reporting data on instances of missing persons, murder, and human trafficking on Indian lands and of Indians; ######
(iv)addressing staff shortages and open positions within relevant law enforcement agencies, including issues related to the hiring and retention of law enforcement officers; ######
(v)coordinating tribal, State, and Federal resources to increase prosecution of murder and human trafficking offenses on Indian lands and of Indians; and ######
(vi)increasing information sharing with tribal governments on violent crime investigations and prosecutions in Indian lands that were terminated or declined. #####
(B)Submission Not later than 36 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall make publicly available and submit all recommendations developed under this paragraph to— ######
(i)the Secretary of the Interior; ######
(ii)the Attorney General; ######
(iii)the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; ######
(iv)the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate; ######
(v)the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and ######
(vi)the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. #####
(C)Secretarial response Not later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary of the Interior and the Attorney General receive the recommendations under paragraph (2), the Secretary and the Attorney General shall each make publicly available and submit a written response to the recommendations to— ######
(i)the Commission; ######
(ii)the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; ######
(iii)the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate; ######
(iv)the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and ######
(v)the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. ###
(d)FACA Exemption The Commission shall be exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.). ###
(e)Sunset The Commission shall terminate on the date that is 42 months after the date of enactment of this Act.