PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.By Senator Tester from Committee on Indian Affairs filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/18/2014. Report No. 113-264. Additional views filed.
Congressional Research Service
Version 01 · Reported to Senate with amendment(s) · Aug 26, 2014
Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act - (Sec. 4) Establishes the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children in the Office of Tribal Justice of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Requires the President and Congress to appoint to the Commission individuals who have significant experience and expertise in Indian affairs and matters to be studied by the Commission, including health care issues facing Native children, Indian education, juvenile justice programs, and social service programs used by Native children.
Requires the Commission to establish a Native Advisory Committee consisting of representatives of Indian tribes from each region of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and a native Hawaiian. Requires members of the Committee to be experienced in matters to be studied by the Commission.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Requires the Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of federal, state, local, and tribal programs that serve Native children, including an evaluation of:
the impact of concurrent jurisdiction on child welfare systems;
barriers Indian tribes and Native Hawaiians face in using public and private grant resources;
obstacles to nongovernmental financial support for programs benefitting Native children;
issues relating to the validity and statistical significance of data on Native children;
barriers to the development of sustainable, multidisciplinary programs designed to assist high-risk Native children and their families, as well as any examples of successful program models; and
barriers to interagency coordination.
Directs the Commission to use the results of the study and analyses of existing federal data to:
develop plans and goals for federal policy relating to Native children in the short-, mid-, and long-term informed by the development of accurate child well-being measures;
recommend modifications and improvements to programs that serve Native children that integrate the cultural strengths of Native communities and result in improvements to the child welfare system, the mental and physical health of Native children, educational and vocational opportunities, and tribal juvenile detention programs.
recommend improvements to the collection of data regarding Native children and the programs that serve them; and
identify models of successful federal, state, and tribal programs in the areas studied by the Commission.
Requires the Commission to submit a report to the President, Congress, and the White House Council on Native American Affairs on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations for legislative and administrative action.
Terminates the Commission 90 days after the report is submitted.
People & committees
Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND] · D–ND
Legislative record
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By Senator Tester from Committee on Indian Affairs filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/18/2014. Report No. 113-264. Additional views filed.
By Senator Tester from Committee on Indian Affairs filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 09/18/2014. Report No. 113-264. Additional views filed.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 537.
Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Tester under authority of the order of the Senate of 08/05/2014 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Tester under authority of the order of the Senate of 08/05/2014 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-324.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7678-7679, S7680)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jun 20, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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