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Committee Announces American Indian and Alaska Native Public Witness Hearing Dates and Testimony Instructions
The House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee announced the Fiscal Year 2026 American Indian and Alaska Native public witness hearing dates will be held Tuesday, February 25, and Wednesday, February 26, 2025. The deadline to submit requests to testify is Monday, February 3, 2025. Please find instructions for submitting a request to testify at the American Indian and Alaska Native Public Witness Hearings by clicking here.
- The deadline to submit written public testimony for all groups is Friday, April 4, 2025.
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Examples of previously written testimonies can be found here and here.
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For all groups, please find instructions for providing written public testimony by clicking here.
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Both chambers are back in session this week. The GOP’s post-retreat plan is to bring a budget blueprint to the Budget Committee for a debate this week. Republicans in the House and Senate need to agree on a budget resolution before the process can move forward. The Senate will continue with more nomination work this week. On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee will meet to discuss and vote on RFK Jr.’s nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
NIHB’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, A.C. Locklear, will be testifying before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs on Wednesday, February 5. The hearing will cover H.R. 410, the “Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 2025”; H.R. 504, the “Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act”; H.R. 741, the “Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025”; and H.R. 412 to authorize the Bay Mills Indian Community of the State of Michigan to convey land and interests in land owned by the Tribe. A.C. will highlight the long-standing Tribal priority to elevate the Director of the Indian Health Service (IHS) to an Assistant Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which H.R. 741 accomplishes.
NIHB, in coordination with our Tribal partners, submitted two letters to Congress last week: Preserve Medicaid Resources for the Indian Health System in Medicaid Reform Legislation and Tribal Impacts of OMB M-25-13.
Please contact NIHB’s Congressional Relations team for more information at wdavis@nihb.org and tbarrett@nihb.org.
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Hearings
Topic: Open Executive Session to Consider Favorably Reporting the Nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to be Secretary of Health and Human Services
Committee: Senate Finance Committee
Date: Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at 10:00 AM
Hearing Website Link
Topic: Hearing on H.R. 410, the “Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 2025”; H.R. 504, the “Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act”; H.R. 741, the “Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025”; and H.R. 412 to authorize the Bay Mills Indian Community of the State of Michigan to convey land and interests in land owned by the Tribe.
Committee: House Natural Resources – Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee
Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 10:15 AM
Hearing Website Link
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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 January 16 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to share a vital resource developed by the IHS to help our patients overcome barriers when accessing cancer care services in our communities. We are building an interactive web map that provides our patients with a search tool to locate cancer services near home, and health care providers can use the map to plan appointments and referrals
IHS January 16 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders to express sincere gratitude to the Community Health Aide Program Tribal Advisory Group members for the continued support and valuable advisement in expanding the Community Health Aide Program in the lower 48 states
IHS January 16 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders to share resources in follow-up to the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women Government-to-Government Tribal Consultation, which was convened on November 19-21, 2024, in Santa Fe, New Mexico (Pueblo of Pojoaque)
IHS January 16 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the appointment of Dr. Beverly Cotton as the Deputy Director for Field Operations at the Indian Health Service
IHS DTLLs for Year 2024
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HHS Tribal Consultation on Proposed Modifications to the HIPAA Security Rule to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Information
Proposed Rule, RIN number 0945-AA22
Contact: Devin Delrow, Principal Advisor for Tribal Affairs, at (202) 868-0013 or at consultation@hhs.gov
Date: February 6, 2025, from 2:00- 3:30 PM ET
Register for the Tribal Consultation
Comments Due: March 7, 2025
Comment Submission: Docket ID number HHS-OCR-0945-AA22, using any of the following methods:
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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.
27th Annual HHS Tribal Budget Consultation
The Director of the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, sent out a DTLL, inviting Tribal Leaders to the 27th 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.
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Register to attend the virtual ATBC Planning Sessions on March 5 and 19, 2025, here.
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Register to attend the ATBC in-person on April 22-23, 2025, here.
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Request a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with HHS Divisions, during the ATBC, before April 11, 2025, here.
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Tribal Advisory Committee Meetings | |
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POSTPONED: FY 2027 Sub-Workgroup on Mandatory Funding Appropriations for IHS - First Meeting FY 2027
FY 2027 National Tribal Budget Formulation Work Session
Date: February 11-12, 2025
Meeting Website
Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee (DSTAC) 2nd Quarterly Meeting
Date: February 13, 2025
Meeting Website
Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC)
Date: February 25-26, 2025
Location: Washington, DC
Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee (TLDC)
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
3rd Quarter DSTAC Meeting
Date: April 24, 2025
Meeting Website
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National Congress of American Indians Executive Council Winter Session
Date: February 10-13, 2025
Location: Washington, DC
Event Webpage
NIHB Tribal Health Data Symposium
Date: March 4-5, 2025
Event Webpage
2025 Tribal Self-Governance Annual Conference
Date: April 7-10, 2025
Meeting Website
NCUIH 2025 Annual Conference
Date: April 22 – 25, 2025
Event Webpage
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Pediatric Pulmonary Centers Program | Click Here to Learn More
Application Deadline: February 18, 2025
Award Amount: Up to $340,000
Description: The purpose of the PPC program is to provide interdisciplinary training to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents with chronic respiratory conditions, sleep issues, and other related special health care needs.
FY25 IHS Tribal Self-Gov Planning & Negotiation Cooperative Agreements | Click Here to Learn More
Application Deadline: February 19, 2025
Description: The awards support tribes and tribal organizations with the planning and preparation necessary to assume responsibility for providing health care to their tribal members through the Tribal Self-Governance Program. For more information, contact Jessaka Nakai at Jessaka.Nakai@ihs.gov or 301-526-6624.
Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students | Click Here to Learn More
Application Deadline: February 19, 2025
Description: The Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program increases diversity in the health professions and nursing workforce by providing awards to eligible health professions schools for use in awarding scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have financial need, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups.
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.
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