[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 144 (Thursday, July 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43855-43856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18248]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary is announcing that the Secretarial 
Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform (the Commission) 
will hold a public Webinar meeting on August 13, 2012. The Commission 
has gathered valuable information to begin work on various 
subcommittees to explore the definitions and foundation of the trust

[[Page 43856]]

relationship, explore other trust models, review reports and various 
documents and identify recommendations from previous studies, and 
consider the nature and scope of necessary audits of the Department's 
trust administration systems. The Secretarial Commission's charter 
requires the Commission to provide well-reasoned and factually based 
recommendations for potential improvements to the existing management 
and administration of the trust administration system. The Commission 
is committed to early public engagement and welcomes your participation 
in these important meetings.

DATES: The Commission's Webinar meeting will begin at 2 p.m. and end at 
4 p.m. Eastern Time on August 13, 2012. Attendance is open to the 
public, but limited space is available. Members of the public who wish 
to attend must RSVP by August 10, 2012, by registering at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/876785297. Instructions for joining the 
Webinar will be emailed after registration occurs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Designated Federal Official, 
Lizzie Marsters, Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary, Department of 
the Interior, 1849 C Street NW., Room 6119, Washington, DC 20240; or 
email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of President Obama's commitment to 
fulfilling this nation's trust responsibilities to Native Americans, 
the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) appointed five members to 
serve on the Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and 
Reform, established under Secretarial Order No. 3292, dated December 8, 
2009. The Commission will play a key role in the Department's ongoing 
efforts to empower Indian nations and strengthen nation-to-nation 
relationships.
    The Commission will complete a comprehensive evaluation of the 
Department's management and administration of the trust assets within a 
two-year period and offer recommendations to the Secretary on how to 
improve in the future. The Commission will:
    (1) Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Department's 
management and administration of the trust administration system;
    (2) Review the Department's provision of services to trust 
beneficiaries;
    (3) Review input from the public, interested parties, and trust 
beneficiaries, which should involve conducting a number of regional 
listening sessions;
    (4) Consider the nature and scope of necessary audits of the 
Department's trust administration system;
    (5) Recommend options to the Secretary for improving the 
Department's management and administration of the trust administration 
system based on information obtained from the Commission's activities, 
including whether any legislative or regulatory changes are necessary 
to permanently implement any suggested improvements; and
    (6) Consider the provisions of the American Indian Trust Fund 
Management Reform Act of 1994 providing for the termination of the 
Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, and make 
recommendations to the Secretary regarding termination.
    The following items will be on the agenda:

 Trust Commission Operations:
     Review, discussion, and approval of June 2012 meeting 
minutes;
     Updates on action items from June 2012 meeting;
     Report on Commission outreach since June;
 Discussion of preliminary, draft Commission recommendations;
 Discussion of Commission Subcommittee progress and products;
 Review of and discussion of September meeting agenda topics 
and related outreach activities;
 Review action items of resulting from Webinar call; and
 Public comments.

    Written comments may be sent to the Designated Federal Official 
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above. To review 
all related material on the Commission's work, please refer to http://www.doi.gov/cobell/commission/index.cfm. All meetings are open to the 
public.

    Dated: July 19, 2012.
David J. Hayes,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-18248 Filed 7-25-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P