IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INDIAN JUDGMENT FUNDS DISTRIBUTION ACT HEARING BEFORE THE ELECT COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE NINETY-SIXTH CONGRESS The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 11 a.m., in room 5110, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Senator Mark Hatfield (acting Chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Senator Hatfield. Staff present: Max Richtman, staff director; Peter Taylor, special counsel; and Susan Long, professional staff member. Senator HATFIELD. The hearing will come to order. Our hearing this morning is on problems associated with the Indian Judgment Funds Distribution Act. In November of last year, this committee received testimony on a bill to validate approximately 60 distribution plans which had been submitted by the Secretary of the Interior to the Congress. At that time, the administration recommended legislation to amend the existing act. Today, we will receive testimony on the administration proposals and related matters. At this time I will place into the record a copy of a letter addressed to Senator Mondale and signed by Rick C. Lavis, Acting Assistant Secretary, Department of the Interior. The letter contains an enclosure a draft bill with the short title of "Indian Judgment Funds Act Amendments of 1979," and a copy of a memorandum opinion and judgment in the case of Seminole Indian Tribe v. Andrus. [The letter with enclosure follows. Testimony begins on p. 26.] (1) |