List of Courts of Indian Offenses; Future Publication of Updates

Published date23 July 2019
Citation84 FR 35355
Record Number2019-15549
SectionProposed rules
CourtIndian Affairs Bureau
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 141 (Tuesday, July 23, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 23, 2019)]
                [Proposed Rules]
                [Pages 35355-35356]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-15549]
                [[Page 35355]]
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                DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
                Bureau of Indian Affairs
                25 CFR Part 11
                [192A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900 253G]
                RIN 1076-AF46
                List of Courts of Indian Offenses; Future Publication of Updates
                AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
                ACTION: Proposed rule.
                -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                SUMMARY: This proposed rule would revise one section of our regulations
                to provide that the current list of areas in Indian Country with Courts
                of Indian Offenses (also known as CFR Courts) will be published and
                updated in the Federal Register and on the Bureau of Indian Affairs
                (BIA) website. Currently, that section of the Code of Federal
                Regulations, itself, lists the areas in Indian Country with CFR Courts,
                requiring a rulemaking each time a court is added or deleted. Allowing
                for publication in the Federal Register, in lieu of a rulemaking, will
                better keep Tribal members and the public updated on the current status
                of the Courts of Indian Offenses.
                DATES: Comments are due by September 23, 2019.
                ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by RIN number 1076-AF46 by
                any of the following methods:
                 Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
                Follow the instructions for sending comments.
                 Email: [email protected]. Include RIN number 1076-AF46
                in the subject line of the message.
                 Mail or Hand-Delivery/Courier: Office of Regulatory
                Affairs & Collaborative Action--Indian Affairs (RACA), U.S. Department
                of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Mail Stop 4660, Washington, DC
                20240.
                 Instructions: All submissions received must include the Regulatory
                Information Number (RIN) for this rulemaking (RIN 1076-AF46). All
                comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Appel, Director, Office of
                Regulatory Affairs & Collaborative Action, (202) 273-4680;
                [email protected].
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Generally, Courts of Indian Offenses operate
                in those areas of Indian country where Tribes retain jurisdiction over
                Indians that is exclusive of State jurisdiction, but where Tribal
                courts have not been established to fully exercise that jurisdiction.
                The Code of Federal Regulations, at 25 CFR 11.100, currently lists each
                Tribe for which Courts of Indian Offenses have been established.
                 On occasion, a Court of Indian Offenses is established or re-
                established or, alternatively, a Court of Indian Offenses ceases
                operation because BIA and a Tribe enter into a contract or compact for
                the Tribe to provide judicial services or the Tribe establishes a court
                system that meets regulatory requirements. Each time one of these
                changes occurs, the list of Courts of Indian Offenses must be updated
                for public transparency. Because the list of Courts of Indian Offenses
                is directly in Sec. 11.100, a rulemaking is required to change the
                list. During the time it takes to conduct a rulemaking, the list in the
                Code of Federal Regulations is not accurate.
                 To allow for more agile responses to status changes, this proposed
                rule would remove the list of CFR Courts from the regulations and
                instead require the BIA to publish the current list and any updates to
                the current list in the Federal Register and on its website. This
                proposed rule would enable BIA to keep the list of CFR Courts updated
                and accurate, improving transparency for Tribal members and the public
                who wish to know what areas in Indian Country have CFR Courts
                established. The proposed rule also revises Sec. 11.104 to clarify
                that the list would no longer be published directly in Sec. 11.100,
                but rather would be published in accordance with the directions in
                Sec. 11.100 to publish in the Federal Register and on the BIA website.
                A. Regulatory Planning and Review (E.O. 12866)
                 Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 provides that the Office of
                Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management
                and Budget (OMB) will review all significant rules. OIRA has determined
                that this rule is not significant.
                 E.O. 13563 reaffirms the principles of E.O. 12866 while calling for
                improvements in the Nation's regulatory system to promote
                predictability, to reduce uncertainty, and to use the best, most
                innovative, and least burdensome tools for achieving regulatory ends.
                The E.O. directs agencies to consider regulatory approaches that reduce
                burdens and maintain flexibility and freedom of choice for the public
                where these approaches are relevant, feasible, and consistent with
                regulatory objectives. E.O. 13563 emphasizes further that regulations
                must be based on the best available science and that the rulemaking
                process must allow for public participation and an open exchange of
                ideas. We have developed this rule in a manner consistent with these
                requirements.
                B. E.O. 13771: Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs
                 This action is not an E.O. 13771 regulatory action because this
                rule is not significant under Executive Order 12866.
                C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
                 The Department of the Interior certifies that this document will
                not have a significant economic effect on a substantial number of small
                entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
                It does not change current funding requirements and would not impose
                any economic effects on small governmental entities.
                D. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
                 This rule is not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804(2), the Small
                Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. This rule:
                 (a) Will not have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million
                or more.
                 (b) Will not cause a major increase in costs or prices for
                consumers, individual industries, Federal, State, or local government
                agencies, or geographic regions.
                 (c) Will not have significant adverse effects on competition,
                employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of the
                U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises.
                E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
                 This rule does not impose an unfunded mandate on State, local, or
                Tribal governments or the private sector of more than $100 million per
                year. The rule does not have a significant or unique effect on State,
                local, or Tribal governments or the private sector. A statement
                containing the information required by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
                (2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) is not required.
                F. Takings (E.O. 12630)
                 This rule does not effect a taking of private property or otherwise
                have taking implications under E.O. 12630. A takings implication
                assessment is not required.
                G. Federalism (E.O. 13132)
                 Under the criteria in section 1 of E.O. 13132, this rule does not
                have sufficient
                [[Page 35356]]
                federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a federalism
                summary impact statement. A federalism summary impact statement is not
                required.
                H. Civil Justice Reform (E.O. 12988)
                 This rule complies with the requirements of E.O. 12988.
                Specifically, this rule: (a) Meets the criteria of section 3(a)
                requiring that all regulations be reviewed to eliminate errors and
                ambiguity and be written to minimize litigation; and (b) Meets the
                criteria of section 3(b)(2) requiring that all regulations be written
                in clear language and contain clear legal standards.
                I. Consultation With Indian Tribes (E.O. 13175)
                 The Department of the Interior strives to strengthen its
                government-to-government relationship with Indian Tribes through a
                commitment to consultation with Indian Tribes and recognition of their
                right to self-governance and Tribal sovereignty. We have evaluated this
                rule under the Department's consultation policy and under the criteria
                in E.O. 13175 and have determined there are no substantial direct
                effects on Federally recognized Indian Tribes that will result from
                this rulemaking because BIA consults on an individual basis with each
                Tribe for which there is a change in the status of their CFR Court.
                J. Paperwork Reduction Act
                 The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.,
                prohibits a Federal agency from conducting or sponsoring a collection
                of information that requires OMB approval, unless such approval has
                been obtained and the collection request displays a currently valid OMB
                control number. Nor is any person required to respond to an information
                collection request that has not complied with the PRA. There is no
                information collection requiring OMB approval associated with this
                proposed rule. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and you are
                not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the form
                or regulation requesting the information displays a currently valid OMB
                Control Number.
                K. National Environmental Policy Act
                 This rule does not constitute a major Federal action significantly
                affecting the quality of the human environment. A detailed statement
                under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not
                required because this is an administrative and procedural regulation.
                (For further information see 43 CFR 46.210(i)). We have also determined
                that the rule does not involve any of the extraordinary circumstances
                listed in 43 CFR 46.215 that would require further analysis under NEPA.
                L. Effects on the Energy Supply (E.O. 13211)
                 This rule is not a significant energy action under the definition
                in E.O. 13211. A Statement of Energy Effects is not required.
                M. Clarity of This Regulation
                 We are required by Executive Orders 12866 and 12988 and by the
                Presidential Memorandum of June 1, 1998, to write all rules in plain
                language. This means that each rule we publish must:
                 a. Be logically organized;
                 b. Use the active voice to address readers directly;
                 c. Use clear language rather than jargon;
                 d. Be divided into short sections and sentences; and
                 e. Use lists and tables wherever possible.
                 If you feel that we have not met these requirements, send us
                comments by one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section. To
                better help us revise the rule, your comments should be as specific as
                possible. For example, you should tell us the numbers of the sections
                or paragraphs that are unclearly written, which sections or sentences
                are too long, the sections where you believe lists or tables would be
                useful, etc.
                N. Public Availability of Comments
                 Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
                other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
                aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
                information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
                ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
                information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
                able to do so.
                List of Subjects in 25 CFR Part 11
                 Courts, Indians-law.
                 For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Department of the
                Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, proposes to amend 25 CFR part 11 as
                follows:
                PART 11--COURTS OF INDIAN OFFENSES AND LAW AND ORDER CODE
                0
                1. The authority for part 11 continues to read as follows:
                 Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; R.S. 463, 25 U.S.C. 2; R.S. 465, 25
                U.S.C. 9; 42 Stat. 208, 25 U.S.C. 13; 38 Stat. 586, 25 U.S.C. 200.
                Subpart A--Application; Jurisdiction
                0
                2. Revise Sec. 11.100 to read as follows:
                Sec. 11.100 Where are Courts of Indian Offenses established?
                 (a) A list of the areas in Indian Country where Courts of Indian
                Offenses are established is available on the Bureau of Indian Affairs
                website (www.bia.gov) and is published periodically in the Federal
                Register.
                 (b) The Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, will maintain on the
                Bureau of Indian Affairs website (www.bia.gov) an updated list of the
                areas in Indian Country where Courts of Indian Offenses are established
                and, upon any change to the list, will publish notice of the change in
                the Federal Register with an updated complete list.
                0
                3. Revise Sec. 11.104(a) introductory text to read as follows:
                Sec. 11.104 When does this part apply?
                 (a) The regulations in this part continue to apply to each area in
                Indian Country listed in accordance with Sec. 11.100 until either:
                * * * * *
                 Dated: June 25, 2019.
                Tara Sweeney,
                Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
                [FR Doc. 2019-15549 Filed 7-22-19; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 4337-15-P
                

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