[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 21, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 93700-93702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30744]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-5951-N-02]
Establishment of Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee;
Request for Nominations for Tribal Intergovernmental Membership
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On June 23, 2016, HUD published a Federal Register notice
announcing its intent to establish a HUD Tribal Intergovernmental
Advisory Committee (TIAC), consisting of tribal governmental
representatives, to assist HUD to further develop and improve its
Indian housing programs. The TIAC is intended to further communications
between HUD and Federally recognized Indian tribes on HUD programs,
make recommendations to HUD regarding current program regulations, and
provide advice in the development of HUD's American Indian and Alaska
Native housing priorities. This notice also solicits nominations and
explains how persons may be nominated for membership on the TIAC.
DATES: Nominations for Committee membership are due on or before:
February 21, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit nominations for
membership on the Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee. There
are two methods for submission of nominations as explained below.
Additionally, all submissions must refer to the above docket number and
title.
1. Submission of Nominations by Mail. Nominations may be submitted
by mail to the Regulations Division, Office of the General Counsel,
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW.,
Room 10276, Washington, DC 20410-0500.
[[Page 93701]]
2. Electronic Submission of Nominations. Interested persons may
submit nominations electronically through the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at www.regulations.gov. HUD strongly encourages the electronic
submission of nominations. Electronic submission allows the maximum
time to prepare and submit a nomination, ensures timely receipt by HUD,
and enables HUD to make the names immediately available to the public.
Nominations submitted electronically through the www.regulations.gov
Web site can be viewed by interested members of the public. Individuals
should follow the instructions provided on that site to submit
nominations electronically.
Note: To receive consideration, nominations must be submitted
through one of the two methods specified above. Again, all
submissions must refer to the docket number and title of the notice.
Facsimile (FAX) nominations are not acceptable.
Public Inspection of Nominations. All properly submitted
nominations and communications submitted to HUD will be available for
public inspection and copying between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays at the
above address. Due to security measures at the HUD Headquarters
building, an advance appointment to review the submissions must be
scheduled by calling the Regulations Division at (202) 708-3055 (this
is not a toll-free number). Individuals with speech or hearing
impairments may access this number via TTY by calling the Federal
Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Copies of all submissions
are available for inspection and downloading at www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heidi J. Frechette, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Native American Programs, Office of Public and Indian
Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh
Street SW., Room 4126, Washington, DC 20410-5000, telephone, 202-401-
7914 (this is not a toll-free number). Individuals with speech or
hearing impairments may access this number via TTY by calling the toll-
free Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Consistent with Executive Order 13175, HUD's Tribal Government-to-
Government Consultation Policy recognizes the right of Indian tribes to
self-governance, and supports tribal sovereignty and self-
determination. The Consultation Policy provides that HUD will engage in
regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration with Indian
tribal officials in the development of federal policies that have
tribal implications, and provides that HUD may establish a standing
tribal advisory committee. Executive Orders 13175 and 13647 require
Federal agencies to advance tribal self-governance and ensure that the
rights of sovereign tribal governments are fully respected by
conducting open and candid consultations. HUD establishes the TIAC to
further enhance consultation and collaboration with tribal governments.
Several Federal agencies have established similar tribal advisory
committees, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of the
Treasury. These advisory committees convene periodically during the
year to exchange information with agency staff, to provide agencies
with an opportunity to notify tribal leaders of activities or policies
that could affect Indian tribes, and to provide guidance on
consultation.
II. This Notice
This notice announces the establishment of the Tribal
Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (TIAC) for HUD as part of its
commitment to strengthen the unique government-to-government
relationship between Federally-recognized American Indian tribes and
Federal agencies.
A. Purpose and Role of the TIAC.
The purposes of the TIAC are:
(1) To further facilitate intergovernmental communication between
HUD and tribal governments on all HUD programs;
(2) To make recommendations to HUD regarding current program
regulations that may require revision, as well as suggest methods to
develop such changes. The TIAC will not, however, negotiate any changes
to regulations that are subject to negotiated rulemaking under Section
106 of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination
Act (NAHASDA); and
(3) To advise on the development of HUD's American Indian and
Alaska Native (AIAN) housing priorities.
The role of the TIAC is to provide recommendations and input to
HUD, and to provide a vehicle for regular, meaningful consultation and
collaboration with tribal governments. It will not replace other means
of tribal consultations, but supplement them. HUD will maintain the
responsibility to exercise program management, including the drafting
of HUD notices and guidance.
For the purpose of the TIAC, the term ``tribal government'' means:
Any Indian tribe, band, nation, 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; 43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) which is
recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided
by the United States to Indians because of their special status as
Indians as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L.
104-4).
B. Charter and Protocols
The TIAC will develop its own ruling charter and protocols. HUD
will provide staff for the TIAC to act as liaisons between TIAC and HUD
officials, manage meeting logistics, and provide general support for
TIAC activities.
C. Meetings and Participation
The Committee will not convene before October 1, 2017. Subject to
availability of federal funding, the TIAC will meet in-person at least
once a year to discuss agency policies and activities with HUD, set
shared priorities, and facilitate further consultation with tribal
leaders. HUD may pay for these meetings, including the member's cost to
travel to these meetings. The TIAC may meet on a more frequent basis by
conference calls or other forms of communication. Additional in-person
meetings may be scheduled at HUD's discretion.
Participation at TIAC meetings will be limited to TIAC members or
their alternates. TIAC members must be elected or duly appointed
officers of a tribal government, and alternates must be tribal
employees with authority to act on behalf of the elected tribal
government official. Alternates must be designated in writing by the
member's tribal government or elected tribal government official. TIAC
members may bring one technical advisor to the meeting at the tribe's
expense.
Meeting minutes will be available on the HUD Web site.
D. TIAC Membership
The TIAC will be comprised of HUD representatives and tribal
government officials from across the country. The TIAC will be composed
of up to six HUD officials (including the Secretary or his or her
designee, as well as the Assistant Secretaries for Public and Indian
Housing, Policy Development and Research, and Community Planning and
Development) and up to fifteen tribal representatives. Up to two tribal
members will represent each of the six
[[Page 93702]]
HUD ONAP regions. Up to three remaining tribal members will serve at-
large.
The Secretary will appoint the members of the TIAC. TIAC tribal
delegates will serve a term of 2 years. To ensure continuity between
tribal terms, delegates will have a staggered term of appointment. In
order to establish a staggered term of appointment, half of the tribal
members appointed in the inaugural year of the TIAC will serve 2 years
and the other half will serve 3 years. Delegates must designate their
preference to serve 2 or 3 years; however, HUD will make the final
determination on which members will serve for 3 years. Once these
members complete these initial terms, all future committee members will
serve two-year terms. Should a member's tenure as a tribal leader come
to an end during their appointment to the TIAC, the member's tribe may
nominate a replacement.
E. Objective of the TIAC
The establishment of the TIAC is intended to enhance government-to-
government relationships, communications, and mutual cooperation
between HUD and tribal governments and is not intended to, and will
not, create any right to administrative or judicial review, or any
other right or benefit or trust responsibility, substantive or
procedural, enforceable by a party against the United States, its
agencies or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other
persons.
III. Request for Nominations
The Committee will be composed of up to six HUD officials and up to
fifteen tribal representatives. Up to two tribal members will represent
each of the six HUD ONAP regions. The three remaining tribal members
will serve at-large. Only duly elected or appointed tribal leaders may
serve as tribal members of the TIAC. Once appointed to the TIAC, tribal
leaders may designate an alternate who is a tribal employee and has the
authority to act on his or her behalf. One of the tribal members will
be selected by the Committee to serve as the chairperson.
If you are interested in serving as a member of the Committee or in
nominating another person to serve as a member of the Committee, you
may submit a nomination to HUD in accordance with the ADDRESSES section
of this notice. Your nomination for membership on the Committee must
include:
1. The name of your nominee, a description of the interests the
nominee would represent, and a description of the nominee's experience
and interest in American Indian and Alaska Native housing and community
development matters;
2. Evidence that your nominee is a duly elected or appointed tribal
leader and is authorized to represent a tribal government;
3. A written commitment from the nominee that she or he will
actively participate in good faith in the Committee meetings; and
4. A written preference for serving either a two- or a three-year
term on the TIAC.
HUD will appoint the members of the TIAC from the pool of nominees
requested by this notice. HUD will announce its final selections for
TIAC membership in a future Federal Register notice. Members will be
selected based on proven experience and interest in AIAN housing and
community development matters, and whether the interest of the proposed
member could be represented adequately by other members.
In addition to the criteria above, at-large members will be
selected based on their ability to represent specific interests that
might not be represented by the selected regional members.
Dated: December 16, 2016.
Juli[aacute]n Castro,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-30744 Filed 12-20-16; 8:45 am]
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