Indian Tribal Courts Act of 1991

Summary

Indian Tribal Courts Act of 1991 - Declares that nothing in this Act shall: (1) encroach upon or diminish in any way the inherent sovereign authority of tribal governments to enact and enforce tribal laws or to appoint personnel; or (2) imply that a tribal court is a U.S. instrumentality. Title I: Tribal Judicial Conference; Office of Indian Tribal Courts - Establishes the Tribal Judicial Conference (Conference) composed of the chief judge of each tribal court to: (1) appoint the Director of the Office of Indian Tribal Courts (established by this Act); and (2) provide for the development, enhancement, and recognition of such courts. Authorizes the Conference to establish an executive committee from among its members to monitor daily operations of the Office of Indian Tribal Courts. Establishes the Office of Indian Tribal Courts (Office) within the Conference. Directs the Conference to establish a formula for funding tribal courts and intertribal appellate courts, under specified conditions. Sets forth guidelines for establishing such formula. Requires the Director to distribute funds appropriated under this Act to Indian tribal governments for the sole use of Indian tribal courts and intertribal appellate courts. Directs the Conference to provide grants (including competitive ones) to tribal governments, tribal consortiums, tribal courts, intertribal appellate courts, and national tribal judicial organizations for training, automation, code development, and recordkeeping. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Tribal Justice Institute - Establishes the Tribal Justice Institute (Institute) within the Tribal Judicial Conference to assist it in developing and improving judicial administration in U.S. tribal courts. Exempts the Institute from Federal taxation and makes it eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. Prohibits consideration of: (1) the Institute as a department, agency, or instrumentality of the Federal Government; or (2) its officers or employees as U.S. officers or employees (except for certain purposes). Authorizes the Institute to award grants and to enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with tribal, public, private, Federal, or State entities for the improvement of tribal court programs. Prohibits the use of funds from such grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements: (1) for political activities, with specified exceptions; (2) for programs training individuals to advocate particular nonjudicial public policies or encouraging nonjudicial political activities; or (3) to supplant Federal or tribal funds currently supporting a tribal court program or activity. Places restrictions on litigation, judiciary, lobbying, and financial activities of the Institute. Prohibits recipients from identifying the Institute or a recipient of funds from it with any partisan or nonpartisan political activity or with the campaign of any candidate for public or party office. Sets forth administrative procedures for the Institute. Authorizes the President to direct that appropriate support functions of the Federal Government be made available to the Institute to carry out its functions. Authorizes appropriations.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

No timeline events have been ingested for this record yet.

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

4 official files

• Reported to Senate (text)

  Reported to Senate · EN

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Indefinitely postponed in Senate

  summary · EN · 6 August 1992

  Open at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 25 September 1991

  Open at official source

Sponsors

No sponsors or actors listed by the source.

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.