[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 243 (Thursday, December 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81954-81955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27786]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[212A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A51010.999900]


Notice of Deadline for Submitting Completed Applications To Begin 
Participation in the Tribal Self-Governance Program in Fiscal Year 2022 
or Calendar Year 2022

AGENCY: Office of Self-Governance, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of application deadline.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, the Office of Self-Governance (OSG) 
establishes the deadline for Indian Tribes/consortia to submit 
completed applications to begin participation in the Tribal self-
governance program in fiscal year 2022 or calendar year 2022.

DATES: Completed application packages must be received by the Director, 
Office of Self-Governance, by March 1, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Application packages for inclusion in the applicant pool 
should be sent to Sharee M. Freeman, Director, Office of Self-
Governance, Department of the Interior, Mail Stop 3624-MIB, 1849 C 
Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Kenneth D. Reinfeld, Office of 
Self-Governance, Telephone (202) 821-7107, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Tribal Self-Governance Act of 1994 
(Pub. L. 103-413), as amended by the Practical Reforms and Other Goals 
to Reinforce the Effectiveness of Self-Governance and Self-
Determination Act of 2019-2020 or the PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act 
(Pub. L. 116-180), Section 402(b)(1)(A), the Secretary, acting through 
the Director of the Office of Self-Governance, may select not more than 
50 new Indian Tribes per year from those eligible Tribes. See 25 U.S.C. 
5362(b)(1).
    The Tribal Self-Governance Act, as amended by the PROGRESS for 
Indian Tribes Act, mandates that copies of the funding agreements be 
sent at least 90 days before the proposed effective date to each Indian 
Tribe that is served by the Bureau of Indian Affairs' agency that is 
serving the Tribe that is a party to the funding agreement. Initial 
negotiations with a Tribe/consortium located in a region and/or agency 
that has not previously been involved with self-governance negotiations 
will take approximately 2 months from start to finish. Agreements for 
an October 1 to September 30 funding year need to be signed and 
submitted by July 1. Agreements for a January 1 to December 31 need to 
be signed and submitted by October 1.

Eligibility To Participate in Self-Governance

    The Department will be initiating a negotiated rulemaking to 
develop regulations to meet the requirements of Section 101 of the 
newly enacted PROGRESS Act. To be eligible to participate in self-
governance, an Indian Tribe must:
    (1) Successfully complete the planning phase described in section 
402(d) of the Tribal Self-Governance Act

[[Page 81955]]

as amended by the PROGRESS Act [25 U.S.C. 5362(d)];
    (2) Request participation in self-governance by resolution or other 
official action by the Tribal governing body;
    (3) Demonstrate for the 3 fiscal years preceding the date for which 
the Tribe requests participation, financial stability and financial 
management capability as evidenced by the Indian Tribe having no 
uncorrected significant and material audit exceptions in the required 
annual audit of its self-determination or self-governance agreements 
with any Federal Agency.

Planning Phase

    An Indian Tribe seeking to begin participation in self-governance 
must complete a planning phase that:
    (1) Is conducted to the satisfaction of the Indian Tribe; and
    (2) Includes:
     Legal and budgetary research; and
     Internal Tribal government planning, training, and 
organizational preparation.
    Applicants should be guided by the referenced requirements in 
preparing their applications to begin participation in the Tribal self-
governance program in fiscal year 2022 and calendar year 2022. Copies 
of these requirements may be obtained from the person identified in the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
    Tribes/consortia wishing to be considered for participation in the 
Tribal self-governance program in fiscal year 2022 or calendar year 
2022 must respond to this notice, except for those Tribes/consortia 
which are either: (1) Currently involved in negotiations with the 
Department; or (2) one of the 134 Tribal entities with signed 
agreements.

Information Collection

    This information collection is authorized by OMB Control Number 
1076-0143, Tribal Self-Governance Program, which expires December 31, 
2022.

Tara Sweeney,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020-27786 Filed 12-16-20; 8:45 am]
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