The U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee on Jan. 29 advanced legislation to improve public safety in tribal communities, strengthen resources for victims of crime, and expand access to health care in rural communities.
The Securing Urgent Resources Vital to Indian Victims Empowerment (SURVIVE) Act, of which Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is a cosponsor, would increase victim assistance resources such as medical care, domestic violence shelters and counseling through a grant program.
The committee also advanced legislation introduced by Murkowski and cosponsored by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to direct Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar II to convey certain properties to the Tanana Chiefs Council and to the Bristol Bay Area Health Corp. Under that bill, TCC and BBAHC would have the ability to expand and construct new health care facilities to provide improved health services to residents of these regions.
“The justice systems in Alaska Native and American Indian communities receive a disproportionately low amount of support based on the high rates of violent cries and impact on victims,” Murkowski said. The SURVIVE Act will improve victim assistance in rural Alaska by increasing funding to invest in initiatives such as rape crisis centers, child abuse programs, violence shelters and other significant resources, she said.
“The importance of health and access to care cannot be understated,” Murkowski said. “TCC intends to use the land as a location for a future health clinic, a family wellness, and an after-care treatment facility. For a village not accessible by road, these investments will make a significant impact to the health and well-being of Alaskans in the region,” Murkowski said.
“BBAHC plans on using the land to build a new free-standing dental facility, which will provide services to nearly 8,000 people in the remote Bristol Bay Region,” she said.
