To establish the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedReported by Mr. Schatz, with an amendment
Ms. Warren (for herself, Mr. Markey, Ms. Smith, Mr. Casey, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
Creates a Truth and Healing Commission to investigate the federal Indian boarding school system that removed Indigenous children from their families. The commission will document the history, locate burial sites, and support healing for affected communities.
Who Benefits and How
- Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities gain official recognition and documentation of historical trauma
- Survivors and descendants receive acknowledgment and potential access to healing resources
- Tribal nations benefit from investigation and potential return of records and remains
Who Bears the Burden and How
- Federal government must fund commission operations and confront historical policies
- Federal agencies must search for and produce historical records
- Churches that operated schools may face scrutiny and requests for records
Key Provisions
- Commission investigates history of at least 367 known boarding schools across 30 states
- Examines policies from 1819 Indian Civilization Fund Act through the 1960s
- Reviews forced removal of children as young as 3 years old
- Includes Native Hawaiian boarding school history beginning in 1820
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Establishes a Truth and Healing Commission to investigate and document the impact of federal Indian boarding school policies
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Acknowledge historical trauma through official investigation and documentation"
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
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