§20929 — Title 34 Navy | U.S. Code

§20929 Election by Indian tribes

Title 34 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Protection of Children and Other Persons › Chapter CHAPTER 209— - CHILD PROTECTION AND SAFETY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION AND NOTIFICATION › Part Part A— - Sex Offender Registration and Notification › § 20929

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

A federally recognized tribe can decide, by a tribal council vote or similar action, either to run the program under this law itself or to give those responsibilities to another government that covers the tribe’s land and to let that government use the tribe’s territory and help it enforce the rules. A tribe is treated as if it gave the duties to another government if it is under State law enforcement per section 1162 of title 18, if it does not choose within 1 year of July 27, 2006 or rescinds a choice to run the program itself, or if the Attorney General finds the tribe has not carried out the law’s requirements and likely cannot soon. A tribe does not have to repeat work that another nearby government already fully does. A tribe may make agreements so the tribe does some functions for the other government or so the other government does some functions for the tribe concerning sex offenders under the tribe’s jurisdiction.

Title 34, §20929

Navy — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)A federally recognized Indian tribe may, by resolution or other enactment of the tribal council or comparable governmental body—

(A)elect to carry out this part as a jurisdiction subject to its provisions; or

(B)elect to delegate its functions under this part to another jurisdiction or jurisdictions within which the territory of the tribe is located and to provide access to its territory and such other cooperation and assistance as may be needed to enable such other jurisdiction or jurisdictions to carry out and enforce the requirements of this part.

(2)A tribe shall be treated as if it had made the election described in paragraph (1)(B) if—

(A)it is a tribe subject to the law enforcement jurisdiction of a State under section 1162 of title 18;

(B)the tribe does not make an election under paragraph (1) within 1 year of July 27, 2006 or rescinds an election under paragraph (1)(A); or

(C)the Attorney General determines that the tribe has not substantially implemented the requirements of this part and is not likely to become capable of doing so within a reasonable amount of time.

(b)(1)A tribe subject to this part is not required to duplicate functions under this part which are fully carried out by another jurisdiction or jurisdictions within which the territory of the tribe is located.

(2)A tribe may, through cooperative agreements with such a jurisdiction or jurisdictions—

(A)arrange for the tribe to carry out any function of such a jurisdiction under this part with respect to sex offenders subject to the tribe’s jurisdiction; and

(B)arrange for such a jurisdiction to carry out any function of the tribe under this part with respect to sex offenders subject to the tribe’s jurisdiction.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This part, referred to in text, was in the original “this subtitle”, meaning subtitle A (§§ 111–131) of title I of Pub. L. 109–248, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 591, which is classified principally to this part. For complete classification of subtitle A to the Code, see Tables. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 16927 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.