0001|                          SENATE MEMORIAL 9
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0002|     43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                              JOHN PINTO
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|     
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0009|     
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0010|                              A MEMORIAL
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0011|     REQUESTING THAT THE LEGISLATURE SUPPORT THE PASSAGE OF H.R.
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0012|     261, THE INDIAN CHILD ADOPTION ASSISTANCE AND FOSTER CARE ACT,
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0013|     RECENTLY INTRODUCED BY CONGRESS.
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0014|     
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0015|          WHEREAS, the Indian Child Adoption Assistance and Foster
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0016|     Care Act, recently introduced in congress by Congressman Bill
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0017|     Richardson, is intended to improve the quality of life for
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0018|     Indian children; and
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0019|          WHEREAS, the Indian Child Adoption Assistance and Foster
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0020|     Care Act encourages Indian families to adopt Indian children by
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0021|     allowing Indian families in need who adopt or provide foster
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0022|     care to receive financial assistance; and
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0023|          WHEREAS, a loophole in the existing Title IV-E foster care
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0024|     maintenance and adoption subsidy program of the Child Welfare
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0025|     Assistance and Adoption Subsidy Act of 1980 precludes such
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0001|     assistance for families who adopt or provide foster care to
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0002|     Indian children through a tribal rather than a state court; and
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0003|          WHEREAS, the Indian Child Adoption Assistance and Foster
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0004|     Care Act seeks to close that loophole; and
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0005|          WHEREAS, the difficulty has always been that once the
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0006|     jurisdiction of foster care or adoption cases is transferred
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0007|     back to the Navajo Nation from the state, the financial
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0008|     responsibility for that child is also transferred, even though
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0009|     the child may still need foster care maintenance or adoption
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0010|     subsidy services; and
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0011|          WHEREAS, the Navajo Nation believes that even though the
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0012|     jurisdiction of the case is transferred back to the nation, the
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0013|     child is still a resident of the state and should be afforded
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0014|     the same opportunities and services that every other child in
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0015|     the state receives;
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0016|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE
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0017|     OF NEW MEXICO that passage of H.R. 261, the Indian Child
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0018|     Adoption Assistance and Foster Care Act, be supported and
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0019|     encouraged; and
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0020|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Congressman Bill Richardson,
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0021|     now United States Ambassador to the United Nations, be urged to
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0022|     continue his efforts in helping the native American people of
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0023|     New Mexico; and
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0024|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be
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0025|     transmitted to President Albert Hale of the Navajo Nation and
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0001|     to Ambassador Bill Richardson.
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0002|                                    
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0003|   
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0004|                      FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
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0005|                        FIRST SESSION, 1997
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0006|   
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0007|   
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0008|                                                  March 11, 1997
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0009|   
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0010|   Mr. President:
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0011|   
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0012|       Your RULES COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
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0013|   
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0014|                         SENATE MEMORIAL 9
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0015|   
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0016|   has had it under consideration and reports same with
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0017|   recommendation that it DO PASS.
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0018|   
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0019|                                Respectfully submitted,
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0020|   
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0021|   
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0022|   
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0023|                                
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0024|   __________________________________
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0025|                                Gloria Howes, Chairman 
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0001|   
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0002|   
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0003|   
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0004|   Adopted_______________________   Not
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0005|   Adopted_______________________
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0006|             (Chief Clerk)                          (Chief Clerk)
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0007|   
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0008|   
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0009|   
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0010|                     Date ________________________
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0011|   
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0012|   
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0013|   The roll call vote was <u> 7 </u> For <u> 0 </u> Against
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0014|           Yes:    7
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0015|           No:     0
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0016|                Excused:     Aragon
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0017|           Absent: None
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0018|   
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0019|   
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0020|   SM009RU1
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