(a) The purpose of the regulations in this subpart is to establish minimum standards for Federal employees working in the Indian Health Service (IHS), including standards of character to ensure that individuals having regular contact with or control over Indian children have not been convicted of certain types of crimes as mandated by section 408 of the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act (the “Act”), Public Law (Pub. L.) 101-630, 104 Stat. 4544, 25 U.S.C. 3201-3211, as amended by section 814 of the Native American Laws Technical Corrections Act of 2000. In order to implement these minimum standards of character, these regulations also address:

(1) The efficiency standards to ensure that individuals are qualified for the positions they hold or seek, as mandated by Section 408 of the Act.

(2) Fitness standards to ensure child care service employees are fit to have responsibility for the safety and well-being of children, as mandated by Section 231 of the Crime Control Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101-647, 42 U.S.C. 13041.

(3) Suitability standards to ensure that individuals have not acted in a manner that places others at risk or raised questions about their trustworthiness, as mandated by 5 CFR part 731.

(b) The Act requires that Tribes or Tribal organizations who receive funds under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEA), Pub. L. 93-638, employ individuals in positions involving regular contact with or control over Indian children only if the individuals meet standards of character no less stringent than those prescribed under these regulations. Thus, the minimum standards of character as defined in these regulations will become the basis for Tribes or Tribal organizations to use when developing their own minimum standards of character that cannot be less stringent than as prescribed herein.

In enacting the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act, (the “Act”) the Congress recognized there is no resource more vital to the continued existence and integrity of Indian Tribes than their children and that the United States has a direct interest, as trustee, in protecting Indian children who are members of, or are eligible for membership in, an Indian Tribe. The minimum standards of character as prescribed by the regulations in this subpart are intended to ensure that Indian children are protected.

Crimes against Persons means a crime that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force or other abuse of a person and includes, but is not limited to, homicide; assault; kidnapping; false imprisonment; reckless endangerment; robbery; rape; sexual assault, molestation, exploitation, contact, or prostitution; and other sexual offenses. In determining whether a crime falls within this category, the applicable Federal, State, or Tribal law under which the individual was convicted or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere shall be controlling.

Crimes of violence means a crime that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another, or any other crime that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the crime. In determining whether a crime falls within this category, reference may be made to the applicable Federal, State, or Tribal law under which the individual was convicted or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere.

Indian means any individual who is a member of an Indian Tribe, as defined below.

Indian child means any unmarried person under the age of eighteen who is either a member of an Indian Tribe or eligible for membership in an Indian Tribe and is the biological child of a member of an Indian Tribe.

Indian Tribe means any Indian Tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, 43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq., which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.

Individuals means persons with duties and responsibilities that involve regular contact with or control over Indian children and includes but is not limited to the following:

(a) Persons in the competitive or excepted service (including temporary employment), the Commissioned Corps, or the Senior Executive Service in the IHS;

(b) Persons who perform service for or under the supervision of the IHS while being permanently assigned to another IHS office or to another organization, such as a Federal agency, State, or Tribe;

(c) Persons who volunteer to perform services in IHS facilities;

(d) Persons who contract with the IHS to perform services in IHS facilities.

Must or shall indicates a mandatory or imperative act or requirement.

Offenses against children means any felonious or misdemeanor crime under Federal, State, or Tribal law committed against a victim that has not attained the age of eighteen years. In determining whether a crime falls within this category, the applicable Federal, State, or Tribal law under which the individual was convicted or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere shall be controlling.

Regular contact with or control over an Indian child means responsibility for an Indian child(ren) within the scope of the individual's duties and responsibilities or contact with an Indian child(ren) on a recurring and foreseeable basis.

Tribal Organization as defined in the ISDEA, means the recognized governing body of any Indian Tribe or any legally established organization of Indians which is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by such governing body or which is democratically elected by the adult members of the Indian community to be served by such organization and which includes the maximum participation of Indians in all phases of its activities.

(a) The IHS must compile a list of all authorized positions with duties and responsibilities that involve regular contact with or control over Indian children; investigate the character of each individual who is employed or is being considered for employment in such a position; and prescribe minimum standards of character that each individual must meet to be appointed or employed in such positions.

(b) All Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations receiving funds under the authority of the ISDEA must identify those positions that permit regular contact with or control over Indian children; conduct an investigation of the character of each individual who is employed or is being considered for employment in a position that involves regular contact with or control over Indian children; and employ only individuals who meet standards of character that are no less stringent than those prescribed by regulations in this subpart.

The minimum standards of character shall mean a benchmark of moral, ethical, and emotional strengths established by character traits and past conduct to ensure that the individual is competent to complete his/her job without harm to Indian children. In order to protect Indian children, the IHS has established minimum standards of character requiring completion of a satisfactory background investigation that ensures that no individuals who have been found guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to, any felonious offense or any of two or more misdemeanor offenses under Federal, State, or Tribal law involving crimes of violence; sexual assault, molestation, exploitation, contact, or prostitution; crimes against persons; or offenses committed against children, are placed in positions involving regular contact with or control over Indian children.

The minimum standards of character shall be considered met only after the individual has been the subject of a satisfactory background investigation. The background investigation shall include a review of:

(a) The individual's trustworthiness, through inquiries with the individual's references and places of employment and education;

(b) A criminal history background check, which includes a fingerprint check through the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under procedures approved by the FBI, and inquiries to State and Tribal law enforcement agencies for the previous five years of residence listed on the individual's application; and

(c) A determination as to whether the individual has been found guilty of or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to any felonious offense or any of two or more misdemeanor offenses under Federal, State, or Tribal law involving crimes of violence; sexual assault, molestation, exploitation, contact, or prostitution; crimes against persons; or offenses committed against children.

All convictions or pleas of nolo contendere or guilty to should be considered in making a determination unless a pardon, expungement, set aside or other court order reaches the plea of guilty, plea of nolo contendere, or the finding of guilt.

(a) All Federal employees are subject to suitability criteria contained in 5 CFR part 731 as a condition of employment.

(b) Section 231 of the Crime Control Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101-647, 42 U.S.C. 13041, provides that an individual may be disqualified from consideration or continuing employment if such individual has been convicted of a sex crime, an offense involving a child victim or a drug felony, or any other crime if such conviction bears on an individual's fitness to have responsibility for the safety and well-being of children.

(c) Tribes or Tribal organizations may but are not required to apply additional criteria in determining whether an individual is suitable for a position with duties and responsibilities that involve regular contact with or control over Indian children. Any additional suitability criteria established by Tribes or Tribal organizations beyond the minimum standards of character described in § 136.405 and § 136.406 would be determined by each individual Tribe or Tribal organization in accordance with its own personnel policies and procedures.

(a) All positions that allow an individual regular contact with or control over Indian children are subject to a background investigation and determination of eligibility for employment. The IHS has compiled a list of positions within the agency in which the duties and responsibilities could involve regular contact with or control over Indian children. The list will be periodically updated and made available at all IHS Personnel Offices upon request. Positions should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the individual in that position has regular contact with or control over Indian children.

(b) Tribes and Tribal organizations may use the list compiled by the IHS or develop their own procedures to determine within their program those positions that involve regular contact with or control over Indian children.

(a) The IHS must use the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to conduct background investigations for Federal employees. The IHS must designate qualified security personnel to adjudicate the results of background investigations.

(b) Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations may conduct their own background investigations, contract with private firms, or may request that a Federal or State agency conduct investigations. (FBI criminal history record information, however, may only be received or evaluated by governmental agencies, including Tribes or Tribal organizations as defined in these regulations at § 136.403, and may not be disseminated to private entities.)

Yes, in conducting background investigations and adjudicating eligibility for employment in Tribal positions that allow regular contact with or control over Indian children, Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations may, but are not required to, adopt portions of the rules in this subpart that are specifically applicable to employment with the IHS.

(a) Applications for employment with the IHS must include the following questions:

(1) Has the individual been arrested or charged with a crime involving a child? If yes, the individual must provide the date, explanation of the violation, disposition of the arrest or charge, place of occurrence, and the name and address of the police department or court involved.

(2) Has the individual ever been found guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to, any felonious or misdemeanor offense, under Federal, State, or Tribal law involving crimes of violence; sexual assault, molestation, exploitation, contact, or prostitution; crimes against persons; or offenses committed against children? If yes, the individual must provide an explanation of the violation, place of occurrence, date and disposition of the court proceeding, and the name and address of the police department or court involved.

(b) The IHS must require that the individual sign, under penalty of perjury, a statement verifying the truth of all information provided in the employment application and acknowledging that knowingly falsifying or concealing a material fact is a felony that may result in fines up to $10,000 or five years imprisonment, or both.

(c) The IHS must inform the individual that a criminal history record check is a condition of employment and require the individual to consent in writing to a criminal history record check.

(a) The IHS must comply with all policies, procedures, criteria, and guidance contained in other appropriate guidelines, such as the OPM policies, procedures, criteria, and guidance. Questions asked in § 136.412 will be added as an addendum to item #16 of the OPM Optional Form 306, “Declaration for Federal Employment.” The information is collected as part of the OPM Optional Form 306 and is safeguarded in accordance with Privacy Act provisions.

(b) Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations must comply with the privacy requirements of the Federal, State, or other Tribal agency providing the background investigations. Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations may establish their own procedures that safeguard information derived from background investigations.

(a) Adjudication is the process IHS uses to determine eligibility for placement or retention of individuals in positions involving regular contact with Indian children. The adjudication process protects the interests of the employer and the right of applicants and employees. Adjudication requires uniform evaluation to ensure fair and consistent judgment.

(b) Each case is judged on its own merits. All available information, both favorable and unfavorable, should be considered and assessed in terms of accuracy, completeness, relevance, seriousness, overall significance, and how similar cases have been handled in the past.

(c) The adjudicating official who conducts the adjudication must first have been the subject of a favorable background investigation.

(d) Each adjudicating official must be thoroughly familiar with all laws, regulations, and criteria involved in making a determination for eligibility.

(e) The adjudicating official must review the background investigation to determine the character, reputation, and trustworthiness of the individual. At a minimum, the background investigation must:

(1) Review each security investigation form and employment application and compare the information provided.

(2) Review the results of written record searches requested from local law enforcement agencies, former employers, former supervisors, employment references, and schools.

(3) Review the results of the fingerprint charts maintained by the FBI or other law enforcement information maintained by other agencies.

(4) Review any other information obtained through a background investigation, including the results of searches by State human services agencies, the OPM National Agency Check and Inquiries, the OPM Security/Suitability Investigations Index, and the Defense Clearance and Investigations Index.

(5) Determine whether the individual has been found guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to, any felonious offense, or any of two or more misdemeanor offenses under Federal, State, or Tribal law, involving crimes of violence; sexual assault, molestation, exploitation, contact, or prostitution; crimes against persons; or offenses committed against children.

(f) After an opportunity has been afforded the individual to respond, pursuant to § 136.415, and it is adjudicated that the individual has been found guilty of or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to an enumerated offense under paragraph (e)(5) of this section, that individual shall not be placed or retained in a position involving regular contact with or control over Indian children.

(g) For individuals who have been determined to be ineligible for employment in positions having regular contact with or control over Indian children, the IHS may use Federal adjudicative standards to certify that an individual is suitable for employment in a position, if available, that does not involve regular contact with or control over Indian children. The adjudicating official must determine that the individual's prior conduct will not interfere with the performance of duties and will not create a potential risk to the safety and well-being of any Indian children after consideration of the following factors:

(1) The nature and seriousness of the conduct in question.

(2) The recency and circumstances surrounding the conduct in question.

(3) The age of the individual at the time of the incident.

(4) Societal conditions that may have contributed to the nature of the conduct.

(5) The probability that the individual will continue the type of behavior in question.

(6) The individual's commitment to rehabilitation and a change in the behavior in question.

(7) The degree of public trust and the possibility the public would be placed at risk if the individual is appointed to the position.

(a) The individual must be provided an opportunity to explain, deny, or refute unfavorable and incorrect information gathered in an investigation, before the adjudication is final. He/she should receive a written summary of all derogatory information and be informed of the process for explaining, denying, or refuting unfavorable information.

(b) The adjudicating officials must not release the actual background investigative report to an individual. However, they may issue a written summary of the derogatory information.

(c) The individual who is the subject of a background investigation may request, to the extent permissible by law, a copy of the reports from the originating (Federal, State, or other Tribal) agency and challenge the accuracy and completeness of any information maintained by that agency.

(d) The results of an investigation cannot be used for any purpose other than to determine eligibility for employment in a position that involves regular contact with or control over Indian children.

(e) Investigative reports contain information of a highly personal nature and must be maintained confidentially and secured in locked files. Investigative reports must be seen only by those officials who, in performing their official duties, need to know the information contained in the report.

The IHS must deny employment to an individual or dismiss an employee, when the duties and responsibilities of the position the individual person would hold or holds involve regular contact with or control over Indian children, and it has been adjudicated, pursuant to § 136.414 and § 136.415, that the individual has been found guilty of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, any felonious offense, or any of two or more misdemeanor offenses, under Federal, State or Tribal law involving a crime of violence; sexual assault, molestation, exploitation, contact, or prostitution; crimes against persons; or offenses committed against children. The IHS has the discretion to place such an individual in a position, if available, that does not involve regular contact with or control over Indian children, if a determination has been made that such placement would not put Indian children at risk and the individual would be able to perform the duties and responsibilities of this position.

Pursuant to section 231 of the Crime Control Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101-647, 42 U.S.C. 13041, as amended by Pub. L. 102-190, the IHS may hire provisionally individuals as defined in these regulations, prior to the completion of a background investigation if, at all times prior to receipt of the background investigation during which children are in the care of the individual, the individual is within the sight and under the supervision of a staff person and a satisfactory background investigation has been completed on that staff person.

(a) The IHS may deny the applicant employment until the charge has been resolved.

(b) The IHS may deny the employee any on-the-job contact with children until the charge is resolved.

(c) The IHS may detail or reassign the employee to other duties that do not involve regular contact with children.

(d) The IHS may place the employee on indefinite suspension, in accordance with statutory and regulatory requirements, until the court has disposed of the charge.