[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3120]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     URBAN INDIAN HEALTH CONFER ACT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 80, S. 460.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 460) to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement 
     Act to establish an urban Indian organization confer policy 
     for the Department of Health and Human Services.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Indian Affairs.
  Ms. SMITH. Mr. President, I thank my fellow Senators for consenting 
to the unanimous passage of S. 460, the Urban Indian Health Confer Act, 
which I introduced with Senator Mullin.
  S. 460 requires the Department of Health and Human Services--HHS--and 
its sub-agencies to ``confer'' with Urban Indian Organizations--UIOs--
when Federal decision-making processes impact their delivery of 
healthcare services. I want to be clear that this bill does not equate 
formal Tribal consultation with an urban confer policy. Indeed, UIOs 
are not federally recognized Indian Tribes and do not have a 
government-to-government relationship with the federal government. But 
there is a demonstrated need for direct communication channels between 
Federal health agencies and UIOs. A HHS-wide confer policy for UIOs 
should reflect the unique needs of urban Native communities, not 
supplant--or in any way impact--the existing right of Tribal 
governments to formal consultation with HHS. It is simply good policy 
to provide the Federal Government with more tools, not less, to engage 
with and gather information from Native people wherever they live to 
improve their healthcare outcomes. S. 460 does just that.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read 
a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 460) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed as follows:

                                 S. 460

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Urban Indian Health Confer 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. URBAN INDIAN ORGANIZATION CONFER POLICY.

        Section 514 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 
     U.S.C. 1660d) is amended by striking subsection (b) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(b) Requirement.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
     Service and the other agencies and offices of the Department 
     confer, to the maximum extent practicable, with urban Indian 
     organizations in carrying out--
       ``(1) this Act; and
       ``(2) other provisions of law relating to Indian health 
     care.''.

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