[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 148 (Thursday, August 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42871-42873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16699]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[212A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900 253G]
Not Invisible Act Joint Commission on Reducing Violent Crime
Against Indians
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of call for nominations and request for comments for
non-Federal Commission members.
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SUMMARY: This notice requests public nominations for the U.S.
Department of the Interior (DOI)'s Joint Commission on Reducing Violent
Crime Against Indians (Commission) as outlined in Section 4 of the Not
Invisible Act of 2019. The Commission will develop recommendations for
the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) and the Attorney General on
actions the Federal Government can take to increase intergovernmental
coordination to identify and combat violent crime on Indian lands and
against Indians. The DOI is soliciting comments and nominations for
qualified individuals to serve as non-Federal Commission members.
DATES: Comments and nominations for non-Federal Commission members must
be submitted no later than September 20, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments and nominations to Regina Gilbert, by
any of the following methods:
Preferred method Email to: [email protected];
Mail, hand-carry or use an overnight courier service to:
Attn. Jason O'Neal, Director, Office of Justice Services U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street NW,
MS-3662-MIB, Washington, DC 20240.
Information is also available at www.bia.gov/as-ia/nia.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please email inquiries to
[email protected]; and please add the following language in
the subject line: ``Inquiry re NIAC fr [add org/tribe/name here]''.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Congress enacted the Not Invisible Act of 2019 (Act), Public Law
116-166, 134 Stat. 766 (2020), to increase intergovernmental
coordination to identify and combat violent crime within Indian lands
and against Indians. Section 4 of the Act requires that the Secretary
of the Interior (Secretary), in coordination with the United States
Attorney General, establish and appoint commission members (both
Federal and non-Federal) to a Joint Commission on Reducing Violent
Crime Against Indians (Commission) to develop recommendations on
actions the Federal Government can take to identify, coordinate, and
combat violent crime on Indian lands and against Indians.
There are many Federal programs tasked with addressing violent
crime. However, the agencies that operate these programs do not have an
overarching strategy to properly deploy these resources in Indian
Country and urban Indian communities. Program implementation often
takes place without considering the unique needs of Native communities
in this context. The Act addresses these concerns by providing an
opportunity for the Federal Government to improve its efforts to combat
the growing crisis of murder, trafficking, and the disappearance of
Indigenous men and women.
II. Work of the Commission
Section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Act requires the Commission to develop
recommendations on actions the Federal Government can take to help
combat violent crime and within Indian lands and of Indians, including
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 DOI
and Department of Justice to combat the crisis of missing or murdered
Indians and human trafficking on Indian lands and of Indians;
[[Page 42872]]
(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.
The Act requires the Commission to submit all recommendations to
the Secretary of the Interior, the Attorney General, the Senate
Committees on the Judiciary and on Indian Affairs, the House Committees
on the Judiciary and on Natural Resources and make their
recommendations publicly available. For more information see https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/nia.
III. Commission Membership, Responsibilities and Criteria
A. Commission Membership
In accordance with the Act, the Commission is exempt from the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requirements.
The Secretary will coordinate with the Attorney General to
establish the Commission and appoint members. The Commission must be
composed of a minimum of 27 qualified Federal and non-Federal members
who represent diverse experiences, backgrounds, geography, and Tribes
of diverse sizes who are able to provide balanced points of view on the
duties of the Commission. The Secretary is seeking non-Federal
nominations for representatives to serve on the Commission who
represent one or more of the interests in Section C and who fulfill the
additional skills and expertise listed in the same section.
In making membership decisions, the Secretary will consider whether
the interest represented by a nominee will be affected significantly by
the final products of the Commission, which may include report(s) and/
or proposed recommendations; whether that interest is already
adequately represented by other nominees; and whether the potential
addition would adequately represent that interest.
Federally registered lobbyists are ineligible to serve on all FACA
and non-FACA boards, committees, or councils in an individual capacity.
The term ``individual capacity'' refers to individuals who are
appointed to exercise their own individual best judgment on behalf of
the government, such as when they are designated Special Government
Employees, rather than being appointed to represent a particular
interest.
B. Commission Member Responsibilities
The Commission is expected to meet approximately 3-5 times and each
meeting is expected to last multiple hours for a consecutive 2-3 days
each. The initial meeting may be held by teleconference and/or web
conference; later meetings may be held either virtually or in person,
or a mixture of both. Between meetings, Commission members are expected
to participate in work group or subcommittee work via conference call,
email and/or virtually. The Commission's work is expected to occur over
the course of 18 months as identified in the Act. The Commission may
hold hearings, meet and act at times and places, take testimony, and
receive evidence as the Commission considers to be advisable to carry
out its duties.
Because of the scope and complexity of the tasks at hand,
Commission members must be able to invest considerable time and effort
in the process. Commission members must be able to attend all
Commission meetings, hearings, work on Commission work groups, consult
with their constituencies between Commission meetings, and negotiate in
good faith toward a consensus on issues before the Commission. Because
of the complexity of the issues under consideration, as well as the
need for continuity, the Secretary reserves the right to replace any
member who is unable to participate in the Commission's meetings,
hearings, and work group meetings with an alternate member.
The DOI commits to pay the reasonable travel and per diem expenses
of Commission members, if appropriate, to attend in-person meetings and
hearings.
C. Membership Criteria
Prospective members need to have a strong capacity for teamwork,
tracking relevant Federal Government programs and policy making
procedures, and coordinating with and acting on behalf of the entity
they represent. Prospective members should demonstrate relevant
expertise, and a commitment and motivation to address the issues
related to missing, murdered and human trafficking of Indians,
especially at the local level. Because of the significant time
commitment for this Commission, nominees should not be a current member
of an existing Commission, Task Force, or Advisory Group on a similar
or related topic.
Non-Federal members of the Commission are comprised of the
categories below. Specific criteria for each category are provided.
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Category Criteria
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Tribal law enforcement.......
Work for a Tribe that has
experience in missing, murdered or human
trafficking with or without a Tribal
resolution.
Demonstrated understanding of
the procedural requirements to
investigate missing and murder [cases]
e.g., how and when to interview, and
report writing.
Demonstrated experience in
gathering and preserving evidence in
missing persons cases.
Demonstrated experience working
with FBI or local law enforcement on
missing persons cases.
State and local law In close proximity to Indian
enforcement. lands.
A letter of recommendation from
a local Indian Tribe.
Be from State, county, or local
law enforcement with cross-deputization
experience working with local Tribe(s).
Nominees in this category should
represent a mix of people from P.L. 280
states and from non-P.L. 280 states.
Tribal judge................. Experience in cases related to
missing persons, murder, or trafficking.
Experience working with
culturally relevant wellness and/or
family courts and/or victim services.
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Demonstrate thought processes
that explore the implications of their
decisions on the families and/or reflect
the cultural relevance and complexity of
the issues before ruling.
Not fewer than 3 Indian Diverse geographic locations.
Tribes including 1 Indian Including urban and rural representation
Tribe in Alaska. (including Alaska).
Selected from nominations
submitted by the Indian Tribe.
Demonstrated substantive
expertise in the issues.
Nominees in this category should
be a mix of elected tribal leadership,
council members, social services, victim
services, wellness and/or family courts.
Not fewer than 2 health care Letter of recommendation from a
and mental health local Tribal chair or Tribal law
practitioners with enforcement officer.
experience working with
Indian survivors of
trafficking and sexual
assault..
Demonstrate an understanding of
the importance of cultural relevancy.
Demonstrate an understanding of
the Indian Health Service, or clinical
health services on tribal lands.
Not fewer than 3 national, National, regional, or urban
regional, or urban Indian organization.
organizations focused on
violence against women and
children on Indian lands or
against Indians.
Have established track record
with a history of funding e.g., existed
for 10 years or longer.
At least 2 Indian survivors A letter from an individual or
of human trafficking. entity who can validate they are
survivors.
A letter from a federally
recognized Tribe is a plus but not
required.
Nominees in this category should
be geographically diverse including
urban/rural diversity.
At least 2 family members of A letter from an individual or
missing Indian people. entity who can validate they have a
missing family member.
A letter from a federally
recognized Tribe is a plus but not
required.
Nominees in this category should
be geographically diverse including
urban/rural diversity.
At least 2 family members of A letter from an individual or
murdered Indian people. entity who can validate they have a
murdered family member.
A letter from a federally
recognized Tribe is a plus but not
required.
Nominees in this category should
be geographically diverse including
urban/rural diversity.
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IV. Call for Non-Federal Commission Member Nominations
Under Section 4, the Act requires that the Commission be comprised
of only Federal and non-Federal representatives. Specifically,
nominations for non-Federal primary members who can fulfill the
obligations of membership that are listed above are requested.
Qualified alternate members will be identified from this pool of
nominees.
The Secretary, in coordination with the Attorney General, will
consider non-Federal employee nominations for representatives only if
they are nominated through the process identified in this notice. The
Secretary will not consider any nominations that are received in any
other manner. The Secretary will not consider nominations for Federal
representatives; only the Secretary, in coordination with the Attorney
General, may appoint Federal employees to the Commission.
Nominations must include the following information about each
nominee:
1. The nominee's name, contact information, geographic location,
and Tribal affiliation.
2. A resume that describes the nominees' qualifications for
specific membership category(ies). Please refer to the membership
criteria stated in this notice.
3. A personal statement of the reasons why the nominee wants to
serve on the Commission including examples of work or professional
experience at the local, Tribal or urban community level, and/or
regionally, nationally.
4. A statement committing to the time to contribute meaningfully to
Commission deliberations including work groups.
5. Any additional comments, including culturally relevant skills
and personal experience, that could help contribute to the Commission's
deliberations.
6. Where specified in the membership criteria, one or more letters
of recommendation.
To be considered, nominations must be received by the close of
business on the date listed in the DATES section, at the location
indicated in the ADDRESSES section.
V. Comments
You may submit your comments by any one of the methods listed in
the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Before including your address,
phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly
available at any time. While you can ask the Department in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying information from public view, the
Department cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Bryan Newland,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021-16699 Filed 8-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P