[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 230 (Friday, December 3, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68672-68673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26271]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

[CFDA Numbers: 93.581, 93.587, 93.612]


Notice for Public Comment on Administration for Native Americans' 
Program Policies and Procedures

AGENCY: Administration for Native Americans, Administration for 
Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 814 of the Native American Programs Act of 
1974 (NAPA), as amended, the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) 
is required to provide members of the public an opportunity to comment 
on proposed changes in interpretive rules and general statements of 
policy and to give notice of the proposed changes no less than 30 days 
before such changes become effective.

DATES: Comments are due by January 3, 2022. If ANA does not receive any 
significant comments within the 30-day comment period, ANA will proceed 
with the proposed changes in the respective published NOFOs. The NOFOs 
will serve as the final notice of these proposed changes.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted to: Carmelia Strickland, Director 
of Program Operations, Administration for Native Americans, 330 C 
Street SW, Washington, DC 20201 or via email to: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carmelia Strickland, Director, 
Division of Program Operations, Administration for Native Americans, 
330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201; Telephone: (877) 922-9262; 
Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with notice requirements of 
NAPA, ANA herein describes proposed interpretive rules and general 
statements of policy that relate to ANA's funding opportunities in 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. Changes to FY 2022 Notice of Funding Opportunity 
(NOFOs) will be based on the following previously published programs: 
Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (ERE), HHS-2021-ACF-ANA-NR-1907; 
Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance--Esther Martinez 
Immersion (EMI), HHS-2021-ACF-ANA-NB-1958; Native American Language 
Preservation and Maintenance (P&M), HHS-2021-ACF-ANA-NL-1924; Social 
and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS), HHS-2021--ACF-ANA-NA-1906; 
Social and Economic Development Strategies--Alaska (SEDS-AK); and HHS-
2021--ACF-ANA-NK-1902.
    Section 814 of NAPA, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 2992b-1) incorporates 
provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act that require ANA to 
provide notice of its proposed interpretive rules and statements of 
policy and to seek public comment on such proposals. This notice serves 
to fulfill the statutory notice and public comment requirement. ANA 
voluntarily includes rules of practice and procedures in this notice in 
an effort to be transparent. The proposed interpretive rules, 
statements of policy, and rules of ANA practice and procedure reflected 
in clarifications, modifications, and new text will appear in the five 
FY 2022 NOFOs: ERE, EMI, P&M, SEDS, and SEDS-AK.
    A. Interpretive rules, statements of policy, procedures, and 
practice. The proposals below reflect ANA's proposed changes in rules, 
policy, or procedure that will take effect in the FY 2022 NOFOs.

1. Discontinuation of SEDS-GO

    ANA has several new legislative economic development priorities 
under the Indian Community Economic Enhancement Act of 2020 (Public Law 
116-261 Section 5), and Congress would like ANA to prioritize at least 
50 percent of our available SEDS funding to go towards those types of 
projects. Therefore, ANA will discontinue SEDS-GO, and applicants can 
propose governance or organizational capacity building projects under 
regular SEDS.

2. Raising the Funding Level of SEDS-AK NOFO

    Operating costs for grant-funded projects in Alaska are often 
higher than in the lower 48 states. In addition, ANA has seen a decline 
in the number of applications received over the last few years for the 
SEDS-AK funding competition. Therefore, in an effort create more 
interest in the program and to address the higher expenses, ANA

[[Page 68673]]

will increase the funding level for SEDS-AK from $200,000 to $300,000.

3. Clarification to EMI NOFO

    In accordance with 42 U.S.C. 2991b-3(c)(7), applicants for an EMI 
grant must submit an official document that certifies the applicant has 
at least 3 years of experience in operating and administering a Native 
American language survival school, a Native American language nest, or 
any other educational program in which instruction is conducted in a 
Native American language. ANA has decided not to fund applicants that 
did not provide the certification as required by law. To reiterate and 
also clarify, the applicant must provide the required certification of 
having not less than 3 years of experience in operating and 
administering a Native American language survival school, a Native 
American language nest, or any other educational program in which 
instruction is conducted in a Native American language. The applicant 
may partner with other eligible entities (as defined under Section 
III.1 Eligible Applicants in the NOFO) that do not have to meet the 
certification requirement.
    Statutory Authority: Section 814 of the Native American Programs 
Act of 1974 (NAPA), as amended.

Hope MacDonald LoneTree,
Deputy Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans.
[FR Doc. 2021-26271 Filed 12-2-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-34-P