The U.S. House of Representatives considers S.325, a bill addressing the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act, on July 26, 2021.

The bill extends the deadline for the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children to conduct its work. Members of the commission will be given another two years to study ways to improve health, education and other outcomes for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian youth.

"The Commission is tasked with conducting a comprehensive study of

federal, state, local, and tribal programs that serve Native children

with the goal of developing a system that delivers wraparound service

for Native youth," said Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who introduced the House version of the bill.

"The Commission was put in place, as I mentioned, in 2016, but was not able to have its first meeting until 2019," Young added. "Further meetings were delayed by COVID, and as we know, things weren't really going according to scale."

S.325 was considered under a suspension of the rules but a final vote was not taken before the House went on break for the month of August. The bill has already passed the U.S. Senate.

However, the same two-year extension is contained in an appropriations bill that passed the House on July 29.