Title
WILMA P. MANKILLER AND CHARLIE SOAP WATER ACT
Body
Section 1. Title and Codification
This legislative act shall be titled and codified as the “Wilma P Mankiller and Charlie Soap Water Act” or alternatively the "Mankiller / Soap Water Act".
Section 2. Findings
The Council of the Cherokee Nation finds that despite a substantial annual expenditure of federal funds and general funds on improving water system, barriers to reliable water supply and wastewater disposal for some Cherokee citizens remain. The Council further finds that many community water systems across the reservation receive, in any given year, a substantial amount of resources from Cherokee Nation, yet many such systems remain infrastructure deficient. These deficiencies negatively impact the health, safety and overall quality of life of Cherokee citizens. The Council and the Principal Chief, on an ongoing basis, require data and expert recommendations to address these issues. The Council further finds that former Principal Chief Wilma P. Mankiller and former Executive Director of Community Service Charlie Soap left a legacy of service to the Cherokee people, which includes her their effort to create and improve water systems in Cherokee communities. Such efforts included Chief Mankiller’s their work in communities now serviced by the Cherry Tree Rural Water District, which includes the historic Bell water line, planning for which she began as a community organizer they began under the Administration of Principal Chief Ross Swimmer in 1981. Legislation is warranted to provide for substantive long-term progress by Cherokee Nation on these issues. Finally, the Council acknowledges that the Principal Chief renamed the Department of Community Services to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure by executive action of March 5, 2021, to better align the department with its core functions.
Section 3. Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to conduct studies on barriers to Cherokee c...
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