President Barack Obama signed the Tribal Law and Order Act on July 29, 2010. Photo by National Congress of American Indians via Flickr

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee will hold a roundtable to discuss the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010.

The committee last looked into the law at an oversight hearing on December 2, 2015. Lawmakers from both parties criticized the Obama administration for failing to deliver timely reports about public safety in Indian Country.

Among other provisions, the law requires the Department of Justice to provide annual reports about the number of cases it investigates and prosecutes on reservations. The latest report, covering the year 2014, was sent to the committee via e-mail only about a half an hour before the start of the hearing.

The law also requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs to report on the unmet law enforcement needs on reservations but the agency has never done so since 2010. The data could help justify funding requests.

The roundtable will take place February 25 in Room 216 of the Senate Hart Office Building.

Committee Notice:
ROUNDTABLE discussion “The Tribal Law and Order Act 5 Years Later: Next Steps to Improving Justice Systems in Indian Communities.” (February 25, 2016)

Indian Law and Order Commission Report:
A Roadmap For Making Native America Safer (November 2013)

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