text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Indian Employment and Training 
  Improvement Act of 1997''.
  
  SEC. 2. PLAN REVIEW.
  
      The third sentence of section 7 of the Indian Employment, Training 
  and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3406) is 
  amended by striking ``shall have the authority to waive any'' and 
  inserting ``shall waive any statutory requirement,''.
  
  SEC. 3. PLAN APPROVAL.
  
      Section 8 of the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services 
  Demonstration Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3407) is amended--
              (1) in the first sentence, by inserting before the period 
          at the end the following: ``(including any request for a waiver 
          that is made as part of the plan submitted by the tribal 
          government)''; and
              (2) in the second sentence, by inserting before the period 
          at the end the following: ``, including reconsidering the 
          disapproval of any waiver requested by the Indian tribe''.
  
  SEC. 4. JOB CREATION ACTIVITIES.
  
      Section 9 of the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services 
  Demonstration Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3408) is amended--
              (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``The plan 
          submitted''; and
              (2) by adding at the end the following:
      ``(b) Employment Opportunities.--
              ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
          law, including any requirement of a program that is integrated 
          under a plan under this Act, a tribal government may use a 
          percentage of the funds made available under this Act (as 
          determined under paragraph (2)) for the creation of employment 
          opportunities, including providing private sector training 
          placement under section 10.
              ``(2) Determination of percentage.--The percentage of funds 
          that a tribal government may use under this subsection is the 
          greater of--
                      ``(A) the rate of unemployment in the area subject 
                  to the jurisdiction of the tribal government; or
                      ``(B) 10 percent.''.
  
  SEC. 5. FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
  
      (a) In General.--Section 11(a) of the Indian Employment, Training 
  and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3410(a)) is 
  amended--
              (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
          ``Bureau of Indian Affairs'' and inserting ``Office of Self-
          Governance of the Department of the Interior'';
              (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and inserting 
          ``; and''; and
              (3) by adding at the end the following:
              ``(5) ensuring an orderly transition with respect to the 
          administration of the programs integrated under the project in 
          such manner as to eliminate any potential adverse effects of 
          the project on any Indian tribe that--
                      ``(A) has entered into a self-determination 
                  contract (as that term is defined in section 4(j) of 
                  the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
                  Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(j))); or
                      ``(B) receives funding under this Act.''.
      (b) Personnel.--In carrying out the amendment made by subsection 
  (a)(1), the Secretary of the Interior shall transfer from the Bureau of 
  Indian Affairs to the Office of Self-Governance of the Department of 
  the Interior such personnel and resources as the Secretary determines 
  to be appropriate.
  
  SEC. 6. ASSIGNMENT OF FEDERAL PERSONNEL TO STATE INDIAN ECONOMIC 
                DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.
  
      Section 18 of the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services 
  Demonstration Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3417) is amended--
              (1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
          following:
  
  ``SEC. 18. ASSIGNMENT OF FEDERAL PERSONNEL TO INDIAN ECONOMIC 
                DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.'';
  
          and
              (2) by inserting ``or Indian tribe'' after ``State'' each 
          place it appears.
  
  SEC. 7. CONSOLIDATED ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
  
      The Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration 
  Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3401 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
  the following:
  
  ``SEC. 19. CONSOLIDATED ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
  
      ``(a) In General.--The head of each Federal agency specified in 
  section 4 that otherwise has jurisdiction over a program that is 
  integrated under this Act (in accordance with a plan under section 6) 
  shall permit a tribal government that carries out that plan to 
  establish a consolidated advisory committee to carry out the duties of 
  each advisory committee that would otherwise be required under 
  applicable law (including any council or commission relating to private 
  industry) to carry out the programs integrated under the plan.
      ``(b) Waivers.--As necessary to carry out paragraph (1), each 
  agency head referred to in that paragraph shall waive any statutory 
  requirement, regulation, or policy requiring the establishment of an 
  advisory committee (including any advisory commission or council).''.
  
  SEC. 8. ALASKA REGIONAL CONSORTIA.
  
      The Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration 
  Act of 1992 (25 U.S.C. 3401 et seq.), as amended by section 7 of this 
  Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:
  
  ``SEC. 20. ALASKA REGIONAL CONSORTIA.
  
      ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
  subject to subsection (b), the Secretary shall permit a regional 
  consortium of Alaska Native villages or regional or village 
  corporations (as defined in or established under the Alaska Native 
  Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)) to carry out a project 
  under a plan that meets the requirements of this Act through a 
  resolution adopted by the governing body of each such entity.
      ``(b) Withdrawal.--Nothing in subsection (a) is intended to 
  prohibit an Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation 
  from withdrawing from participation in any portion of a program 
  conducted pursuant to that subsection at any time after the plan for 
  the program is implemented.''.
target: Indian Employment and Training Improvement Act of 1997 - Amends the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992 to, among other things:  (1) allow Indian tribal governments to use a specified percentage of the funds made available under the Act for the creation of employment opportunities, including providing private sector training placement; (2) transfer lead agency responsibility for demonstration projects from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the Office of Self-Governance of the Department of the Interior; and (3) revise the requirement regarding the assignment of Federal personnel to State Indian economic development programs to provide for Federal personnel assignments to Indian tribes with such programs. 
  Sets forth requirements concerning:  (1) Indian tribal government consolidated advisory committees; and (2) Alaska regional consortia.
feat_title: Indian Employment and Training Improvement Act of 1997