---
kind: "section"
citation: "34 U.S.C. § 20929"
title: "34"
title_heading: "Crime Control and Law Enforcement"
number: "20929"
heading: "Election by Indian tribes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/34/20929"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Protection of Children and Other Persons"
  - "Chapter 209 — Child Protection and Safety"
  - "Subchapter I — Sex Offender Registration and Notification"
  - "Part A — Sex Offender Registration and Notification"
---

# §20929. Election by Indian tribes

- (a) **Election—**
  - (1) **In general—** A federally recognized [Indian tribe](/usc/34/21901.md?p=6) may, by resolution or other enactment of the tribal council or comparable governmental body—
    - (A) elect to carry out this part as a [jurisdiction](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) subject to its provisions; or
    - (B) elect to delegate its functions under this part to another [jurisdiction](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) or [jurisdictions](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) 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](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) or [jurisdictions](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) to carry out and enforce the requirements of this part.
  - (2) **Imputed election in certain cases—** A tribe shall be treated as if it had made the election described in [paragraph (1)(B)](#a-1-B) if—
    - (A) it is a tribe subject to the [law enforcement](/usc/34/21701.md?p=1) [jurisdiction](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) of a [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) under [section 1162 of title 18](/usc/18/1162.md);
    - (B) the tribe does not make an election under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) within 1 year of July 27, 2006 or rescinds an election under [paragraph (1)(A)](#a-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) **Cooperation between tribal authorities and other jurisdictions—**
  - (1) **Nonduplication—** A tribe subject to this part is not required to duplicate functions under this part which are fully carried out by another [jurisdiction](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) or [jurisdictions](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) within which the territory of the tribe is located.
  - (2) **Cooperative agreements—** A tribe may, through cooperative agreements with such a [jurisdiction](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) or [jurisdictions](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10)—
    - (A) arrange for the tribe to carry out any function of such a [jurisdiction](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) under this part with respect to [sex offenders](/usc/34/20911.md?p=1) subject to the tribe’s [jurisdiction](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10); and
    - (B) arrange for such a [jurisdiction](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10) to carry out any function of the tribe under this part with respect to [sex offenders](/usc/34/20911.md?p=1) subject to the tribe’s [jurisdiction](/usc/34/20911.md?p=10).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–248, title I, § 127, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 599.)

## Notes

### 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.