George Miller: “This bill was necessary as congressional action is required and these tribes have been awaiting this award ever since…”

“This bill was necessary as congressional action is required and these tribes have been awaiting this award ever since 1971. There was some question of the fairness of the distribution scheme between the recognized and nonrecognized tribes but that situation has been amicably resolved and made part of the underlying legislation. The Senate, however, has made three additional changes. The first changes a reference in the bill from the word ``tribe'' to ``band''. The second adds a reference to 25 U.S.C. 1407 which states that Indian judgment fund awards are not taxable. We are deleting this amendment as it falls within the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee. But it is the third amendment that is troubling. The third amendment will prevent the Indian Health Service from entering into a separate Indian Self-Determination Act contract--a 638 contract--with the Ketchikan Indian Corp. at the same time that it also has a regional 638 contract with the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Corporation, a consortium of Southeast tribes that KIC once belonged to.”