To establish grant programs for the development of telecommunications capacities in Indian country.

May 4, 2004

Mr. INOUYE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

To establish grant programs for the development of telecommunications capacities in Indian country.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Native American Connectivity Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--

(1)(A) disparities exist in the areas of education, health care, workforce training, commerce, and economic activity of Indians due to the rural nature of most Indian reservations; and

(B) access to basic and advanced telecommunications infrastructure is critical in eliminating those disparities;

(2) currently, only 67.9 percent of Indian homes have telephone service, compared with the national average of 95.1 percent;

(3) the telephone service penetration rate on some reservations is as low as 39 percent;

(4) even on reservations and trust land, non-Indian homes are more likely to have telephone service than Indian homes;

(5) only 10 percent of Indian households on tribal land have Internet access;

(6) only 17 percent of Indian tribes have developed comprehensive technology plans;

(7) training and technical assistance have been identified as the most significant needs for the development and effective use of telecommunications and information technology in Indian country;

(8) funding for telecommunications and information technology projects in Indian country remains inadequate to address the needs of Indian communities;

(9) many Indian tribes are located on or adjacent to Indian land in which unemployment rates exceed 50 percent;

(10) the lack of telecommunications infrastructure and low telephone and Internet penetration rates adversely affects the ability of Indian tribes to pursue economic development opportunities; and

(11) health care, disease prevention education, and cultural preservation are greatly enhanced with access to and use of telecommunications technology and electronic information.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

The purposes of this Act are--

(1) to promote affordable and universal access among Indian tribal governments, tribal entities, and Indian households to telecommunications and information technology in Indian country;

(2) to encourage and promote tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and strong tribal governments;

(3) to enhance the health of Indian tribal members through the availability and use of telemedicine and telehealth; and

(4) to assist in the retention and preservation of native languages and cultural traditions.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) BLOCK GRANT- The term `block grant' means a grant provided under section 5.

(2) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY- The term `eligible activity' means an activity carried out--

(A) to acquire or lease real property (including licensed spectrum, water rights, dark fiber, exchanges, and other related interests) to provide telecommunications services, facilities, and improvements;

(B) to acquire, construct, reconstruct, or install telecommunications facilities, sites, or improvements (including design features), or utilities;

(C) to retain any real property acquired under this Act for tribal communications purposes;

(D) to pay the non-Federal share required by a Federal grant program undertaken as part of activities funded under this Act;

(E) to carry out activities necessary--

(i) to develop a comprehensive telecommunications development plan; and

(ii) to develop a policy, planning, and management capacity so that an eligible entity may more rationally and effectively--

(I) determine the needs of the entity;

(II) set long term and short term goals;

(III) devise programs and activities to meet the goals of the entity, including, if appropriate, telehealth;

(IV) evaluate the progress of the programs and activities in meeting the goals; and

(V) carry out management, coordination, and monitoring of activities necessary for effective planning implementation;

(F) to pay reasonable administrative costs and carrying charges relating to the planning and execution of telecommunications development activities, including the provision of information and resources about the planning and execution of the activities to residents of areas in which telecommunications development activities are to be concentrated;

(G) to increase the capacity of an eligible entity to carry out telecommunications activities;

(H) to provide assistance to institutions of higher education that have a demonstrated capacity to carry out eligible activities;

(I) to enable an eligible entity to facilitate telecommunications development by--

(i) providing technical assistance, advice, and business support services (including services for developing business plans, securing funding, and conducting marketing); and

(ii) providing general support (including peer support programs and mentoring programs) to Indian tribes in developing telecommunications projects;

(J) to evaluate eligible activities to ascertain and promote effective telecommunications and information technology deployment practices and usages among Indian tribes; or

(K) to provide research, analysis, data collection, data organization, and dissemination of information relevant to telecommunications and information technology in Indian country for the purpose of promoting effective telecommunications and information technology deployment practices and usages among tribes.

(3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY- The term `eligible entity' means--

(A) an Indian tribe;

(B) an Indian organization;

(C) a tribal college or university;

(D) an intertribal organization; or

(E) a private or public institution of higher education acting jointly with an Indian tribe.

(4) INDIAN TRIBE- The term `Indian tribe' has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).

(5) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Commerce.

(6) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE- The term `technical assistance' means the facilitation of skills and knowledge in planning, developing, assessing, and administering eligible activities.

(7) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT- The term `training and technical assistance grant' means a grant provided under section 6.

(8) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY- The term `tribal college or university' has the meaning given the term `tribally controlled college or university' in section 2 of the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801), except that the term also includes an institution listed in the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note).

(9) TELEHEALTH- The term `telehealth' means the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health, and health administration.

SEC. 5. BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration a Native American telecommunications block grant program to provide grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to carry out eligible activities under subsection (c).

(b) BLOCK GRANTS- The Secretary may provide a block grant to an eligible entity that submits a block grant application to the Secretary for approval.

(c) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES- A grant under this section may only be used for an eligible activity.

(d) REGULATIONS- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations establishing specific criteria for the competition conducted to select eligible entities to receive grants under this section for each fiscal year.

SEC. 6. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS.

(a) NOTIFICATION AND CRITERIA- The Secretary--

(1) shall provide notice of the availability of training and technical assistance grants; and

(2) publish criteria for selecting recipients.

(b) GRANTS- The Secretary may provide training and technical assistance grants to eligible entities with a demonstrated capacity to carry out eligible activities.

(c) USE OF FUNDS- A training and technical assistance grant shall be used--

(1) to develop a training program for telecommunications employees; or

(2) to provide assistance to students who--

(A) participate in telecommunications or information technology work study programs; and

(B) are enrolled in a full-time graduate or undergraduate program in telecommunications-related education, development, planning, or management.

(d) SETASIDE-

(1) IN GENERAL- For each fiscal year, the Secretary shall set aside $2,000,000 of the amount made available under section 12 for training and technical assistance grants, to remain available until expended.

(2) TREATMENT- A training and technical assistance grant to an entity shall be in addition to any block grant provided to the entity.

(e) PROVISION OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BY THE SECRETARY- The Secretary may provide technical assistance, directly or through contracts, to--

(1) tribal governments; and

(2) persons or entities that assist tribal governments.

SEC. 7. COMPLIANCE.

(a) AUDIT BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Comptroller General of the United States may audit any financial transaction involving grant funds that is carried out by a block grant recipient or training and technical assistance grant recipient.

(2) SCOPE OF AUTHORITY- In conducting an audit under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall have access to all books, accounts, records, reports, files, and other papers, things, or property belonging to or in use by the grant recipient that relate to the financial transaction and are necessary to facilitate the audit.

(3) REGULATIONS- The Comptroller General shall promulgate regulations to carry out this subsection.

(b) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION-

(1) IN GENERAL- After consultation with Indian tribes, the Secretary may promulgate regulations to carry out this subsection that--

(A) ensure that the policies of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and other laws that further the purposes of that Act (as specified by the regulations), are most effectively implemented in connection with the expenditure of funds under this Act; and

(B) assure the public of undiminished protection of the environment.

(2) SUBSTITUTE MEASURES- Subject to paragraph (3), the Secretary may provide for the release of funds under this Act for eligible activities to grant recipients that assume all of the responsibilities for environmental review, decisionmaking, and related action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and other laws that further the purposes of that Act (as specified by the regulations promulgated under paragraph (1)), that would apply to the Secretary if the Secretary carried out the eligible activities as Federal projects.

(3) RELEASE-

(A) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall approve the release of funds under paragraph (2) only if, at least 15 days prior to approval, the grant recipient submits to the Secretary a request for release accompanied by a certification that meets the requirements of paragraph (4).

(B) APPROVAL- The approval by the Secretary of a certification shall be deemed to satisfy the responsibilities of the Secretary under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the laws specified by the regulations promulgated under paragraph (1), to the extent that those responsibilities relate to the release of funds for projects described in the certification.

(4) CERTIFICATION- A certification shall--

(A) be in a form acceptable to the Secretary;

(B) be executed by the tribal government;

(C) specify that the grant recipient has fully assumed the responsibilities described in paragraph (2); and

(D) specify that the tribal officer--

(i) assumes the status of a responsible Federal official under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and each law specified by the regulations promulgated under paragraph (1), to the extent that the provisions of that Act or law apply; and

(ii) is authorized to consent, and consents, on behalf of the grant recipient and on behalf of the tribal officer to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal courts for enforcement of the responsibilities of the tribal officer as a responsible Federal official.

SEC. 8. REMEDIES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE.

(a) FAILURE TO COMPLY- If the Secretary finds, on the record after opportunity for an agency hearing, that a block grant recipient or training and technical assistance grant recipient has failed to comply substantially with any provision of this Act, the Secretary, until satisfied that there is no longer a failure to comply, shall--

(1) terminate payments to the grant recipient;

(2) reduce payments to the grant recipient by an amount equal to the amount of payments that were not expended in accordance with this Act;

(3) limit the availability of payments under this Act to programs, projects, or activities not affected by the failure to comply; or

(4) refer the matter to the Attorney General with a recommendation that the Attorney General bring an appropriate civil action.

(b) ACTION BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL- After a referral by the Secretary under subsection (a)(4), the Attorney General may bring a civil action in United States district court for appropriate relief (including mandatory relief, injunctive relief, and recovery of the amount of the assistance provided under this Act that was not expended in accordance with this Act).

SEC. 9. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

(a) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS- Not later than 180 days after the end of each fiscal year in which assistance under this Act is provided, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that includes--

(1) a description of the progress made in accomplishing the objectives of this Act;

(2) a summary of the use of funds under this Act during the preceding fiscal year; and

(3) an evaluation of the status of telephone, Internet, and personal computer penetration rates, by type of technology, among Indian households throughout Indian country on a tribe-by-tribe basis.

(b) REPORTS TO SECRETARY- The Secretary may require grant recipients under this Act to submit reports and other information necessary for the Secretary to prepare the report under subsection (a).

SEC. 10. CONSULTATION.

In carrying out this Act, the Secretary shall consult with other Federal agencies administering Federal grant programs.

SEC. 11. HISTORIC PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS.

A telecommunications project funded under this Act shall comply with the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.).

SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) IN GENERAL- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act--

(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and

(2) such sums as are necessary for each subsequent fiscal year.

(b) AVAILABILITY- Funds made available under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.

END