OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Reimbursement Program

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This program is authorized by 25 U.S.C. § 1304(h)(1). The Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Reimbursement Program (Tribal Reimbursement Program, assistance listing #16.059) reimburses tribal governments for expenses incurred in exercising “Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction” (STCJ) over non-Indians who commit certain covered crimes (the term “covered crime” means: assault of Tribal justice personnel; child violence; dating violence; domestic violence; obstruction of justice; sexual violence; sex trafficking; stalking; and a violation of a protection order.) The Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022) recognized the inherent power of “participating tribes” to exercise STCJ over all persons. STCJ, in turn, means the criminal jurisdiction that a “participating tribe” may exercise under 25 U.S.C. § 1304 but could not otherwise exercise. A “participating tribe” is a federally recognized tribe that elects to exercise STCJ over the Indian country of that tribe. VAWA 2022 also established a pilot program under which the Attorney General may designate up to five Alaska tribes per calendar year as participating tribes to exercise STCJ over all persons present in the tribe’s Village, without requiring that the crime occur in “Indian country.” Tribes interested in the Alaska Pilot Program should visit https://www.justice.gov/tribal/vawa-2022-alaska-pilot-program for more information.

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