From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
     [Extracted from Senate Document 106-6, Authority and Rules of
     Senate Committees, 1999-2000]


                   COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS

                   Jurisdiction and Authority

          S. Res. 4, Sec. 105, 95th Cong., 1st Sess. (1977) \1\
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    \1\ As amended by S. Res. 127, 98th Cong., 2d Sess. (1984). 
Bracketed terms reflect changes in the Committee's Membership for the 
103d Congress made by S. Res. 18, 103d Cong., 1st Sess. (1993), which 
amended paragraph 3(c) of Senate Rule XXV, and the renumbering of 
paragraphs in Senate Rule XXV effected by S. Res. 274, 96th Cong., 1st 
Sess. (1979). The Committee was established as the Select Committee on 
Indian Affairs. Section 25 of S. Res. 71, 103d Cong., 1st Sess., 
redesignates it as the Committee on Indian Affairs.
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    (a)(1) There is established a Select Committee on Indian Affairs 
(hereafter in this section referred to as the ``select committee'') 
which shall consist of [eighteen] Members, [ten] to be appointed by the 
President of the Senate, upon the recommendation of the majority leader, 
from among Members of the majority party and [eight] to be appointed by 
the President of the Senate, upon the recommendation of the minority 
leader, from among the Members of the minority party. The select 
committee shall select a Chairman from among its Members.
    (2) A majority of the Members of the committee shall constitute a 
quorum thereof for the transaction of business, except that the select 
committee may fix a lesser number as a quorum for the purpose of taking 
testimony. The select committee shall adopt rules of procedure not 
inconsistent with this section and the rules of the Senate governing 
standing committees of the Senate.
    (3) Vacancies in the Membership of the select committee shall not 
affect the authority of the remaining Members to execute the functions 
of the select committee.
    (4) For purposes of [paragraph 4] of rule XXV of the Standing Rules 
of the Senate, service of a Senator as a Member or Chairman of the 
select committee shall not be taken into account.
    (b)(1) All proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and 
other matters relating to Indian affairs shall be referred to the select 
committee.
    (2) It shall be the duty of the select committee to conduct a study 
of any and all matters pertaining to problems and opportunities of 
Indians, including but not limited to, Indian land management and trust 
responsibilities, Indian education, health, special services, and loan 
programs, and Indian claims against the United States.
    (3) The select committee shall from time to time report to the 
Senate, by bill or otherwise, its recommendations with respect to 
matters referred to the select committee or otherwise within its 
jurisdiction.
    (c)(1) For the purposes of this section, the select committee is 
authorized, in its discretion, (A) to make investigations into any 
matter within its jurisdiction, (B) to make expenditures from the 
contingent fund of the Senate, (C) to employ personnel, (D) to hold 
hearings, (E) to sit and act at any time or place during the sessions, 
recesses, and adjourned periods of the Senate, (F) to require, by 
subpoena or otherwise, the attendance of witnesses and the production of 
correspondence, books, papers, and documents, (G) to take depositions 
and other testimony, (H) to procure the services of individual 
consultants or organizations thereof, in accordance with the provisions 
of section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, and (I) 
with the prior consent of the Government department or agency concerned 
and the Committee on Rules and Administration, to use on a reimbursable 
basis the services of personnel of any such department or agency.
    (2) The Chairman of the select committee or any Member thereof may 
administer oaths to witnesses.
    (3) Subpoenas authorized by the select committee may be issued over 
the signature of the Chairman, or any Member of the select committee 
designated by the Chairman, and may be served by any person designated 
by the Chairman or the Member signing the subpoena.