25 U.S.C. § 4043: Authorities and functions of Special Trustee

The Special Trustee shall prepare and, after consultation with Indian tribes and appropriate Indian organizations, submit to the Secretary and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, within one year after the initial appointment is made under section 4042(b) of this title , a comprehensive strategic plan for all phases of the trust management business cycle that will ensure proper and efficient discharge of the Secretary’s trust responsibilities to Indian tribes and individual Indians in compliance with this chapter. Identification of all reforms to the policies, procedures, practices and systems of the Department, the Bureau, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Minerals Management Service necessary to ensure the proper and efficient discharge of the Secretary’s trust responsibilities in compliance with this chapter. Provisions for opportunities for Indian tribes to assist in the management of their trust accounts and to identify for the Secretary options for the investment of their trust accounts, in a manner consistent with the trust responsibilities of the Secretary, in ways that will help promote economic development in their communities. A timetable for implementing the reforms identified in the plan, including a date for the proposed termination of the Office. The Special Trustee shall oversee all reform efforts within the Bureau, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Minerals Management Service relating to the trust responsibilities of the Secretary to ensure the establishment of policies, procedures, systems and practices to allow the Secretary to discharge his trust responsibilities in compliance with this chapter. The Special Trustee shall monitor the reconciliation of tribal and Individual Indian Money trust accounts to ensure that the Bureau provides the account holders, with a fair and accurate accounting of all trust accounts. properly to account for and invest, as well as maximize, in a manner consistent with the statutory restrictions imposed on the Secretary’s investment options, the return on the investment of all trust fund monies, and to prepare accurate and timely reports to account holders (and others, as required) on a periodic basis regarding all collections, disbursements, investments, and return on investments related to their accounts. The Special Trustee shall ensure that the Bureau establishes policies and practices to maintain complete, accurate, and timely data regarding the ownership and lease of Indian lands. The Special Trustee shall ensure that the Bureau of Land Management establishes policies and practices adequate to enforce compliance with Federal requirements for drilling, production, accountability, environmental protection, and safety with respect to the lease of Indian lands. The Special Trustee shall ensure that the Minerals Management Service establishes policies and practices to enforce compliance by lessees of Indian lands with all requirements for timely and accurate reporting of production and payment of lease royalties and other revenues, including the audit of leases to ensure that lessees are accurately reporting production levels and calculating royalty payments. the policies, procedures, practices, and systems of the Bureau, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Minerals Management Service related to the discharge of the Secretary’s trust responsibilities are coordinated, consistent, and integrated, and the Department prepares comprehensive and coordinated written policies and procedures for each phase of the trust management business cycle. The Special Trustee shall ensure that the Bureau imposes standardized trust fund accounting procedures throughout the Bureau. The Special Trustee shall ensure that the trust fund investment, general ledger, and subsidiary accounting systems of the Bureau are integrated and that they are adequate to support the trust fund investment needs of the Bureau. the land records system of the Bureau interfaces with the trust fund accounting system, and the Minerals Management Service establishes policies and procedures that will allow it to properly collect, account for, and disburse to the Bureau all royalties and other revenues generated by production from leases on Indian lands; and the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau provide Indian landholders with accurate and timely reports on a periodic basis that cover all transactions related to leases of Indian resources. The Special Trustee shall develop for each fiscal year, with the advice of program managers of each office within the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management and Minerals Management Service that participates in trust management, including the management of trust funds or natural resources, or which is charged with any responsibility under the comprehensive strategic plan prepared under subsection (a) of this section, a consolidated Trust Management program budget proposal that would enable the Secretary to efficiently and effectively discharge his trust responsibilities and to implement the comprehensive strategic plan, and shall submit such budget proposal to the Secretary, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and to the Congress. Each program manager participating in trust management or charged with responsibilities under the comprehensive strategic plans shall transmit his office’s budget request to the Special Trustee at the same time as such request is submitted to his superiors (and before submission to the Office of Management and Budget) in the preparation of the budget of the President submitted to the Congress under section 1105(a) of title 31 . review each budget request submitted under subparagraph (B); certify in writing as to the adequacy of such request to discharge, effectively and efficiently, the Secretary’s trust responsibilities and to implement the comprehensive strategic plan; and notify the program manager of the Special Trustee’s certification under clause (ii). The Special Trustee shall maintain records of certifications made under subparagraph (C). No program manager shall submit, and no official of the Department of the Interior may approve or otherwise authorize, a reprogramming or transfer request with respect to any funds appropriated for trust management which is included in the Trust Management Program Budget unless such request has been approved by the Special Trustee. The Special Trustee shall provide such guidance as necessary to assist Department personnel in identifying problems and options for resolving problems, and in implementing reforms to Department, Bureau, Bureau of Land Management, and Minerals Management Service policies, procedures, systems and practices. The Special Trustee, and his staff, shall have access to all records, reports, audits, reviews, documents, papers, recommendations, files and other material, as well as to any officer and employee, of the Department and any office or bureau thereof, as the Special Trustee deems necessary for the accomplishment of his duties under this chapter. The Special Trustee shall report to the Secretary and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate each year on the progress of the Department, the Bureau, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Minerals Management Service in implementing the reforms identified in the comprehensive strategic plan under subsection (a)(1) and in meeting the timetable established in the strategic plan under subsection (a)(2)(C). Subject to sums being provided in advance in appropriations Acts, there is established a Commission to be known as the Lands Title Report Commission (hereafter in this section referred to as the ‘Commission’) to facilitate home loan mortgages on Indian trust lands. The Commission will be subject to oversight by the Committee on Banking and Financial Services [now Committee on Financial Services] of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. Four members shall be appointed by the President. Four members shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee on Banking and Financial Services [now Committee on Financial Services] of the House of Representatives. Four members shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. At all times, not less than eight of the members of the Commission shall be members of federally recognized Indian tribes. All members of the Commission shall have experience in and knowledge of land title matters relating to Indian trust lands. The Chairperson of the Commission shall be one of the members of the Commission appointed under paragraph (1)(C), as elected by the members of the Commission. Any vacancy on the Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made. Members of the Commission shall serve without pay, but each member shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code. The Chairperson of the Commission shall call the initial meeting of the Commission. Such meeting shall be held within 30 days after the Chairperson of the Commission determines that sums sufficient for the Commission to carry out its duties under this Act [probably should be “section”] have been appropriated for such purpose. to ensure prompt and accurate responses to requests for title status reports; to eliminate any backlog of requests for title status reports; and to ensure that the administration of the system will not in any way impair or restrict the ability of Native Americans to obtain conventional loans for purchase of residences located on Indian trust lands, including any actions necessary to ensure that the system will promptly be able to meet future demands for certified title status reports, taking into account the anticipated complexity and volume of such requests. Not later than the date of the termination of the Commission under subsection (h), the Commission shall submit a report to the Committee on Banking and Financial Services [now Committee on Financial Services] of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate describing the analysis and determinations made pursuant to subsection (d). The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying out this section, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence as the Commission considers appropriate. Upon request of the Commission, the head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties under this section. The Commission may secure directly from any department or agency of the United States information necessary to enable it to carry out this section. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of that department or agency shall furnish that information to the Commission. The Commission may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the United States. Upon the request of the Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support services necessary for the Commission to carry out its duties under this section. The Commission may appoint personnel as it considers appropriate, subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and shall pay such personnel in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary, and any amounts appropriated pursuant to this subsection shall remain available until expended. The Commission shall terminate 1 year after the date of the initial meeting of the Commission.”