[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 95 (Wednesday, May 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 24505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12142]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Office of Trust Funds Management National Tribal Consultation
AGENCY: Office of Trust Funds Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Tribal Consultation Meeting--Financial Trust Services
Improvement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of the Special Trustee
(OST), Office of Trust Funds Management (OTFM), will conduct four (4)
consultation meetings with any Indian tribe, band, nation, Individual
Account holders 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 (85
Stat.688), which is recognized as eligible for the trust programs and
services provided by the United States to Indians because of their
status as Indians.
The purpose is to obtain oral and written comments regarding a
number of options to improve Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounting
and customer service with approximately 300,000 nationwide account
holders. The options were developed by a Tribal/Federal Work Group
which was established to assist OTFM in developing a number of
recommendations to resolve technical and customer service problems. A
number of General Accounting Office (GAO), Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), and Department of Interior (DOI) audits of the IIM
function have concluded that internal controls are inadequate for
controlling receipts and disbursements for this function.
DATES (1996): Four (4) consultation sessions will be conducted:
June 25-27, Tulsa, OK, Adam's Mark Hotel, 100 East 2nd Street,
Tulsa, OK 74103, 918-582-9000.
July 9-11, Phoenix, AZ, The Pointe at Squaw Peak, 7677 North 16th
Street, Phoenix, AZ 85020, 602-997-2626.
July 30-August 1, Portland, OR, Red Lion Columbia River, 1401 N.
Hayden Island Dr., Portland, OR 97217, 503-283-2111.
August 20-22, Bismarck, ND, Holiday Inn, 605 East Broadway,
Bismarck, ND 58501, 701-255-6000.
All sessions will begin at 8:30 am and adjourn at 5:00 pm. Public
attendance may be limited to the space available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Gerard, Program Analyst,
Office of Trust Funds Management, Department of the Interior 505
Marquette NW., Suite 700, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102, telephone
number 505-248-5751 and fax number 505-248-5782.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the consultation meeting is
to provide Indian tribes and individuals an opportunity for
participation in the improvement of IIM customer service. The
anticipated result of the consultation is to ensure that the Department
adheres to the mandates of Pub. Law 103-412, the American Indian Trust
Fund Management Reform Act. Specifically, the Department must ensure
that: (1) IIM funds are deposited on a timely basis; (2) IIM interest
is paid on a timely basis; (3) proper accounting for IIM daily and
annual balances exists; and (4) periodic statements to IIM account
holders will be provided.
All oral and written comments presented by tribes and individual
account holders at the tribal consultation meetings will be recorded,
transcribed and taken into consideration by the agency.
Summaries of the meetings will be available for public inspection
and copying ten days following the meeting.
Dated: May 8, 1996.
Ada E. Deer,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-12142 Filed 5-14-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P