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Week of February 24, 2025

Live Streaming Available for NIHB’s 2025 Tribal Health Data Symposium

The National Indian Health Board will host the Tribal Health Data Symposium on Tuesday, March 4 & Wednesday, March 5, 2025. The symposium will explore diverse perspectives about what it can look like to have a Tribally-driven, culturally-grounded approach to data collection, analysis, governance, and communications. While in-person registration is now closed, you can register for the livestream by clicking the button below. Please note that live-stream viewers will not be able to participate in interactive sessions, networking sessions, or poster presentations.

Both chambers are back in session this week following the President’s Day Recess in the House. Last week, the Senate passed its budget resolution after an all-night vote-a-rama on Thursday, February 20, which included a number of Tribally focused budget amendments. Senate committees will begin working on their recommendations for reconciliation, which are expected by March 7^th. Now it’s the House’s turn to take up their own budget resolution this week. The House’s budget resolution goes much further than the Senate’s version, by including spending changes related to tax policy, dubbed “One Big, Beautiful Bill”, recently endorsed by the President. The House is expected to vote on it this week.

While House and Senate Appropriators continue their dialogue on FY 2025 appropriations, the government is two weeks out from the March 14 deadline to keep the federal government open. This week also begins the FY 2026 appropriations process as the House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee is holding its FY 2026 American Indian and Alaska Native Witness Days, February 25-27. NIHB will provide Oral Testimony to the Subcommittee on Thursday, February 27 at 10:15 am.

Please contact NIHB’s Congressional Relations team for more information at wdavis@nihb.org.

Hearings

Topic: From Reset to Rollout: Can the VA EHRM Program Finally Deliver?

Committee: House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Date: Monday, February 24, 2025, at 3:00 PM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: The Government Accountability Office’s 2025 High Risk List

Committee: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 1:00 PM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: American Indian and Alaska Native Public Witness Hearing

Committee: House Committee on Appropriations – Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 1:30 PM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: American Indian and Alaska Native Witness Days

Committee: House Committee on Appropriations – Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM

Hearing Website Link for 9:30 AM

Hearing Website Link for 1:30 PM

Topic: An Examination of How Reining in PBMs will Drive Competition and Lower Costs for Patients

Committee: House Committee on Energy & Commers: Health Subcommittee

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Implementation and Case Studies

Committee: Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: Federal Indian Trust Asset Management: Progress Made but Improvement Needed

Committee: House Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 2:00 PM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: American Indian and Alaska Native Witness Days

Committee: House Committee on Appropriations – Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025, at 9:00 AM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: Combating the Opioid Epidemic

Committee: Senate Special Committee on Aging

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 3:30 PM

Hearing Website Link

SSA January 17 Letter: The SSA Acting Commissioner writes to Tribal Leaders to share updates to the SSA benefits program and office activities. 

IHS January 17 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to express deep appreciation for the opportunity to serve as the Indian Health Service Director

IHS DTLLs for Year 2024

Consultations

Protecting Traditional Plant Knowledge Consultation Prep Webinar: World Intellectual Property Organization Treaty on Intellectual Property

Date: February 27, 2025, 4:00-7:00 PM ET

Event Webpage

27^th Annual HHS Tribal Budget Consultation

The Director of the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, sent out a DTLL, inviting Tribal Leaders to the 27^th U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Annual Tribal Budget Consultation (ATBC), which will take place on April 22-23, 2025, at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building at 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. Official comments are due April 12, 2025, at 5:00pm ET to consultation@hhs.gov.

• Register to attend the virtual ATBC Planning Sessions on March 5 and 19, 2025, here.
• Register to attend the ATBC in-person on April 22-23, 2025, here.
• Request a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with HHS Divisions, during the ATBC, before April 11, 2025, here.

POSTPONED: HHS Tribal Consultation on Proposed Modifications to the HIPAA Security Rule to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Information

On February 3, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the Tribal Consultation is postponed. If you have any questions, contact consultation@hhs.gov. Comments are still being accepted until March, 7, 2025.

Proposed Rule, RIN number 0945-AA22

Contact: Devin Delrow, Principal Advisor for Tribal Affairs, at (202) 868-0013 or at consultation@hhs.gov

Comments Due: March 7, 2025

Comment Submission: Docket ID number HHS-OCR-0945-AA22, using any of the following methods:

• Federal Rulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail or hand delivery: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, Attention: HIPAA Security Rule NPRM, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 509F, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201.

Tribal Advisory Committee Meetings

HHS Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC)

Date: February 25-26, 2025

Location: Washington, DC

CANCELLED: Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee (TLDC)

Date: March 4-5, 2025

Meeting Website

IHS Director’s Workgroup on Improving Purchased/Referred Care

Date: March 4-5, 2025

Meeting Website

Facilities Appropriation Advisory Board Meeting (FAAB)

Date: March 11-12, 2024

Meeting Website

IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee Meeting

Date: March 19-20, 2025

Meeting Website

Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee (DSTAC) Monthly Meeting

Date: March 20, 2025

Meeting Website

3^rd Quarter DSTAC Meeting

Date: April 24, 2025

Meeting Website

NIHB Tribal Health Data Symposium

Date: March 4-5, 2025

Event Webpage

Social Security Administration Webinar Wednesday – Are you eligible for Social Security Survivor Benefits?

Date: March 19^th at 11:00 AM EST or March 26^th at 2:30 PM EST

March 19^th, 2025 at 11:00 AM Eastern

March 26^th, 2025 at 2:30 PM Eastern

2025 Tribal Self-Governance Annual Conference

Date: April 7-10, 2025

Meeting Website

NCUIH 2025 Annual Conference

Date: April 22 – 25, 2025

Event Webpage

Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Grants | Click Here to Learn More

Application Deadline: March 17, 2025

Award Amount: Up to $1,000,000

Description: The grant will support 5-year cooperative agreements between ACF and federally recognized Indian tribes (or a consortium of Indian tribes), tribal organizations, or urban Indian organizations interested in developing, implementing, sustaining, or expanding an evidence-based home visiting program serving expectant families and families with young children aged birth to kindergarten. Additionally, awards will support the implementation of high-quality, culturally grounded, evidence-based home visiting services to American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) families and children; implementation of performance measurement and continuous quality improvement systems; development of early childhood systems; and participation in research and evaluation activities to build evidence around home visiting, particularly in Tribal communities

Long-term Care Joint Venture Construction Program | Click Here to Learn More

Application Deadline: Phase I Application due on close of business, April 10, 2025

Description: Under the LTC JVCP, federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes construct a Tribal-owned Long Term Care, Skilled Nursing Facility, or Long-term Home facility using non-IHS funds that meets IHS design criteria and approval. In exchange, IHS will enter into a 20-year nominal lease for the facility and request annual appropriations for the operation and maintenance of the facility during the lease period. Additional priority is to be given to Tribes who agree to fund the initial equipment portion of the project.

National Indian Health Board | www.nihb.org | 202-507-4070