Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board

Legislative and Policy Update

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Important Dates

Mar. 23, 2022 (12:00 PM Pacific)

Veterans Affairs Tribal Representation Expansion Project Tribal Consultation

Registration Link

Mar. 23, 2022 (12:00 PM Pacific)

Indian Health Service: Women’s History Month Observance

Zoom Link

Mar. 24, 2022 (11:00 AM Pacific)

CMS Tribal Leader Training Medicaid State Tribal Collaboration

Registration Link

rescheduled Mar. 24-25, 2022 

IHS Director’s Workgroup on Improving PRC

Mar. 25, 2022 (11:00 AM Pacific)

ISAC Monthly Meeting

cancelled Mar. 28, 2022

IHS Director’s Advisory Workgroup on Tribal Consultation Meeting

Mar. 30-31, 2022

STAC Tribal Consultation Workgroup Meeting

Denver, CO

Mar. 30, 2022 (11:00 AM Pacific)

CDC/ATSDR Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) Conference Call

Mar. 31, 2022 (11:00 AM Pacific)

NIH Tribal Consultation on Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative

Registration Link

Apr. 4, 2022 (12:30 PM Pacific)

CMS Portland Area Virtual Training: Division of Tribal Affairs

Registration Link

Apr. 5, 2022 (12:30 PM Pacific)

CMS Portland Area Virtual Training: Marketplace

Registration Link

Apr. 6, 2022 (12:30 PM Pacific)

CMS Portland Area Virtual Training: Social Security & Medicare Benefits 101

Registration Link

Apr. 6-7, 2022

HHS Annual Tribal Budget Consultation on FY 2024 – virtual

Registration Link

Apr. 7, 2022 (12:00 PM Pacific)

IHS April All Tribal & Urban Indian Organization Leaders Call

Apr. 11, 2022 (12:30 PM Pacific)

CMS Portland Area Virtual Training: Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board

Registration Link

Apr. 12, 2022 (12:00 PM Pacific)

MMPC Monthly Meeting

Apr. 12, 2022 (12:30 PM Pacific)

CMS Portland Area Virtual Training: VA Programs and Benefits

Registration Link

Apr. 13, 2022 (11:30 AM Pacific)

TTAG Monthly Conference Call

Apr. 13, 2022 (12:30 PM Pacific)

CMS Portland Area Virtual Training: Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity (SOGI)

Registration Link

Apr. 14, 2022 (11:00 AM Pacific)

IHS Director’s Advisory Workgroup on Tribal Consultation

Federal Health Agency and Congress Tracker (FHACT)) An ongoing list of Dear Tribal Leader Letters, Federal agency actions, and legislation introduced in the 117th Congress related to health.

An ongoing tracker of COVID-19 direct and set-aside funding for Tribes. Updated as of Aug. 2, 2021.

Appropriation Updates

Congress Finalizes, President Signs into Law FY 2022 Appropriations. Congress passed the FY 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, H.R. 2471 which includes $395 million increase to the Indian Health Service. The increases to the IHS includes an additional $14 million for Tribal Epidemiology Centers, an additional $161 million for Hospitals and Health Clinics, an additional $9 million to Purchased/Referred Care, and an additional $111 million for EHR modernization. The Appropriations Act does not include advanced appropriations for IHS or moves contract support cost or 105(l) to mandatory appropriations. The $395 million increase for IHS is significantly less than the President’s Budget Request for a $2 billion increase for FY 2022. 

• See IHS FY 2022 Appropriations Charts for the full breakdown of increases over FY 2021 enacted.

Legislative Updates

Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT Pandemics Act) S.3799 was introduced by HELP Chair Murray and Ranking Member Burr. This bipartisan legislation is intended to better prepare the U.S. to respond to public health emergencies and to evaluate lessons learned. The HELP Committee has approved of a revised version which would establish an Advanced Research Projects Authority for Health (ARPA-H) to support biomedical research. Senators Smith and Murkowski introduced amendments to provide a 5% set aside for Tribes, Tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, and tribal health departments to address social determinants of health and improve health outcomes. 

• PREVENT Pandemics Act Section by Section Summary

Tribal Consultation Updates

Veterans Affairs Tribal Representation Expansion Project (T. REP). Tribal Consultation announced via Dear Tribal Leader Letter on Feb. 15, 2022. In this project, the VA intends to focus on the Tribal communities that are underserved in terms of representation and gather input on claims representation in those communities.

• Registration link for Mar. 23, 2022 at 12:00 PM Pacific
• Written comments may be submitted by Mar. 30, 2022 via email to [email protected]

NIH Announces Tribal Consultation on Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiative. NIH will be hosting a two-hour virtual consultation on Mar. 31, 2022 at 11am Pacific to discuss research needs to address the opioid crisis, including chronic pain and addiction.  Written testimony may be submitted to Dr. David Wilson, Director of the NIH Tribal Health Research Office at [email protected] before May 1, 2022. 

• Mar. 31, 2022 Consultation Zoom Link
• HEAL Initiative Framing Paper

SAMHSA 42 CFR Part 2: Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hosted a virtual Tribal Consultation on Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records, 42 CFR part 2 (Part 2) on Mar. 10.

•  Written comments are due by Apr. 6, 2022 to [email protected]

IHS Health IT Modernization Tribal Consultation. IHS hosted tribal consultation earlier this month to provide an update on the acquisition process to replace the Resource and Patient Management System and opportunities to participate in focus groups for subject matter experts. 

• Written comments are due Apr. 10, 2022 to [email protected]

U.S. Department of Justice Tribal Consultation on Supporting Public Safety for Tribal Communities. The DOJ hosted government-to-government consultation last week to discuss efforts to address high rates of violent crime in Native communities, including those reflected in missing and murdered indigenous persons (MMIP). The Deputy Attorney General released a memorandum in establishing a Steering Committee to address the crisis of MMIP.

• Written comments are due by Apr. 15, 2022 to [email protected]

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announces Tribal Consultation on Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) and Federal Decision Making via Dear Tribal Leader Letter on March 4. Previously, the WH had released a memorandum that recognizes Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK)—a form of Indigenous Knowledge as one of the many important bodies of knowledge that contributes to the scientific, technical, social, and economic advancements of the U.S. and to our collective understanding of the natural world. The WH is now developing guidance on inclusion of ITEK in Federal decision making and policy processes for release later this year via consultation and listening sessions, as follows:

• Tribal Consultation I: Apr. 5, 2022 at 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM Pacific (Registration)
• Public Listening Session: Apr. 8, 2022 at 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Pacific (Registration)
• Tribal Consultation II: Apr. 29, 2022 at 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Pacific (Registration)
• Written public comments can be sent to [email protected] by May 5, 2022

Administrative and Regulatory Updates

HHS Annual Tribal Budget Consultation. HHS will be hosting a virtual tribal consultation on the President’s FY 2024 budget request on April 6-7, 2022. Written testimony will be accepted until May 8, 2022 to [email protected]. 

• Registration Link for Virtual Annual Tribal Budget Consultation on April 6-7, 2022

HHS Celebrates the 12 Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Tomorrow, March 23, 2022 will be 12 years since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. In the Portland Area, all three states have successfully expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act resulting in increased coverage for American Indian and Alaska Native people.

• Read HHS News Release

CMS Portland Area ITU Virtual Trainings. CMS is hosting training programs for the Portland Area ITU on programs and benefits available through Medicare, Medicaid and the Health Insurance Marketplace from April 4- April 15. 

• See Save the Date Portland Area ITU Virtual Trainings

SAMHSA Announces Fiscal Year 2022 Grants. SAMHSA has announced grant funding opportunities through its Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) website, here. Each NOFO contains the information you need to apply for a grant, including for the Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Program, here.

• Application deadlines begin on Apr. 4, 2022, such as for the Services Grant Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women, while others are open thru May 17, 2022. Please review application due dates and timelines.                                 
• SAMHSA, working with tribes, IHS, and National Indian Health Board developed the first collaborative National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda (TBHA). Tribal applicants are encouraged to briefly cite the applicable TBHA foundational element(s), priority(ies), and strategies that are addressed by their grant application.

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Releases Report on Tribal Epidemiology Centers. The GAO Report highlights the issues Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) face trying to access non-public HHS data. The GAO Report found that there are a lack of HHS policies acknowledging TECs’ authorities to access data and a lack of guidance and policies and procedures for TECS to request and access HHS data. Page 25 of the Report makes five recommendations to HHS, CDC, and IHS to improve TEC access to HHS data.

• Read the Full GAO Report Here.

The Department of the Interior Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC). The Interior is requesting nominations from Tribal Leaders for a primary and alternate member in their respective Bureau of Indian Affairs region to serve on the Interior STAC. Nominations are due May 9, 2022 to the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs at [email protected]. 

• For any questions, contact Heidi Todacheene, Senior Advisor to the Secretary at [email protected]

For more information:

Laura Platero, Executive Director

Lisa L. Griggs, Executive and Program Ops Assistant  

Candice Jimenez, Health Policy Specialist 

Liz Coronado, Health Policy Specialist

Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board | Website