U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and Senator Brian Schatz, Vice Chairman, led a legislative hearing to review Title II of the draft Native Children’s Commission Implementation Act. The session focused on improving justice and safety for Native children.
“Native children deserve systems that are responsive, coordinated, and grounded in the strength of Tribal values so that they can thrive,” said Chairman Murkowski. “This discussion draft reflects years of work and listening by the Committee and is rooted in the recommendations of the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Native Children’s Commission. Today’s hearing showcased the improved outcomes when Tribes have the authority and flexibility to develop culturally grounded services, which this legislation will support for more Native families and communities.”
Senator Schatz added, “Doing everything we can to ensure public safety in Indian Country is just one of our trust and treaty obligations. I’m glad bipartisan Committee staff worked together to listen and learn from Native communities from across the country, including Hawaii, on how Chair Murkowski’s draft legislation may support their unique public safety needs, particularly for children and families.”
The proposed legislation was authored by Senator Murkowski. It aims to enhance justice systems for Native youth by establishing a Tribal Advisory Committee on juvenile justice, requiring studies by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) on missing American Indian/Alaska Native children, codifying programs such as Alaska native Victim services program, supporting domestic violence prevention efforts, victim services, and family-centered interventions.
The hearing included testimony from several witnesses. In addition to this session, Senator Murkowski hosted a roundtable discussion about the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children report. Staff from both Senators have held meetings with Tribal leaders to gather input for the draft.
Written testimony will be accepted until February 11, 2026.
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs serves as a standing committee in the U.S. Senate responsible for oversight of issues affecting Native Americans—including tribal sovereignty, education, health care, economic development—and supports self-determination through policy development and federal responsibilities toward tribes (official website). The committee addresses concerns in regions such as Alaska as well as other U.S. insular areas (official website). Established as a select committee in 1816 before becoming permanent in 1984 (official website), it continues to influence federal policy related to tribal governance (official website).
