Section 39. Indian affairs  


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  • 1.  Powers  and duties, if any, conferred or
      imposed, in terms, by laws now in force, on the governor,  commissioners
      of  the  land  office  and  the  superintendent  of  purchase  or fiscal
      supervisor of state charities, so far only as they relate to affairs  of
      Indians, or on the commissioner of education, so far only as they relate
      to  affairs  of  Indians  other  than the education of children upon the
      Indian reservations, except such powers and duties, if any, as may  have
      been  conferred  or  imposed,  in  terms, on either of such officers, in
      relation to such affairs, by laws  enacted  and  in  effect  since  July
      first,  nineteen hundred and twenty-four, shall continue to be exercised
      and performed by the department, instead of by the officers named.
        2. The office of children  and  family  services  may  enter  into  an
      agreement  with  an  Indian  tribe  for  the  provision  of foster care,
      preventive and adoptive  services  to  Indian  children  as  defined  in
      subdivision  thirty-six  of  section  two  of  this  chapter and for the
      provision of adult and child protective  services  to  Indians  residing
      upon  the  tribe's  reservation in the state, after the Indian tribe has
      submitted to the office of children and  family  services  a  plan  that
      satisfactorily  demonstrates  that  such  tribe  is  able  to  meet  the
      applicable standards for  foster  care  services,  preventive  services,
      adoptive  services, and adult and child protective services set forth in
      the applicable federal and state law  and  regulations.  The  office  of
      children  and  family services is authorized to reimburse such tribe for
      the full cost of foster  care,  preventive  services,  adult  and  child
      protective services, and adoptive services and care, after deducting any
      federal funds properly received on account thereof.
        3.  Any  Indian  tribe  designated  as  such  by  the Secretary of the
      Interior which became subject to the jurisdiction of courts of the state
      of New York pursuant to sections two hundred thirty-two and two  hundred
      thirty-three of title twenty-five of the United States code or any other
      federal   law,  may  reassume  jurisdiction  over  those  child  custody
      proceedings provided for in articles three, seven, ten, and ten-A of the
      family court act and sections  three  hundred  fifty-eight-a  and  three
      hundred eighty-four-b of this chapter involving Indian children provided
      that  the Secretary of the Interior has granted approval pursuant to and
      in accordance with the applicable sections of title twenty-five  of  the
      United States code.
        4.  Any Indian tribe designated as such by the state of New York which
      is subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the state of  New  York,
      may  reassume jurisdiction over those child custody proceedings provided
      for in articles three, seven, ten, and ten-A of the  family  court  act,
      and sections three hundred fifty-eight-a and three hundred eighty-four-b
      of  this  chapter  involving  Indian  children  provided  that the local
      commissioner  has  granted  approval  in  accordance  with   rules   and
      regulations established by the department.
        5.  (a)  An  Indian  tribe  approved to assume jurisdiction shall have
      exclusive jurisdiction over any child custody  proceeding  involving  an
      Indian  child who resides or is domiciled within the reservation of such
      tribe, except where such jurisdiction is otherwise vested in the  courts
      of  the state of New York by existing federal law. Where an Indian child
      is a ward of a tribal court, the Indian  tribe  shall  retain  exclusive
      jurisdiction, notwithstanding the residence or domicile of the child.
        (b)   Notwithstanding   the   provisions  of  paragraph  (a)  of  this
      subdivision, nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the  emergency
      removal  of  an  Indian  child who is a resident of or is domiciled on a
      reservation, but temporarily  located  off  the  reservation,  from  his
      parents  or Indian custodian or the emergency placement of such child in
      a foster home or institution, under applicable state  law  in  order  to
    
      prevent  imminent  physical  damage  or  harm  to  the  child. The state
      authority, official or agency shall insure that the emergency removal or
      placement terminates immediately when such removal or  placement  is  no
      longer  necessary  to  prevent  imminent  physical damage or harm to the
      child and  shall  expeditiously  initiate  a  child  custody  proceeding
      subject  to  the  provisions  of this section, transfer the child to the
      jurisdiction of the appropriate Indian tribe, or restore  the  child  to
      the parent or Indian custodian as may be appropriate.
        6.  In  any  state court child custody proceeding involving the foster
      care placement of, or termination of parental rights to an Indian  child
      not  domiciled  or residing within the reservation of the Indian child's
      tribe, the court, in the absence of good cause to  the  contrary,  shall
      transfer  such  proceeding  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the tribe, absent
      objection by either parent, upon the petition of either  parent  or  the
      Indian  custodian  or  the Indian child's tribe; provided, however, that
      such transfer shall be subject to declination by  the  tribal  court  of
      such tribe.
        7.  In  any state court proceeding involving the foster care placement
      of or the termination of parental rights to an Indian child, the  Indian
      custodian  of  the  child  and  the  Indian  tribe shall have a right to
      intervene at any point in the proceeding.
        8. The department may enter into an  agreement,  contract  or  compact
      with  an  Indian  tribe  or  intertribal consortium for the provision of
      welfare related services by social services districts or by any tribe or
      tribes in connection with a tribal plan for direct  tribal  funding  and
      administration  of  federal temporary assistance to needy families block
      grant monies.