View Email Online

Week of September 16

, 2024

In this Letter:

📣Announcements 

✒️Congressional Items 

📝 Dear Tribal Leader Letters

📒Upcoming Tribal Advisory Committees & Tribal Consultations

💵 Notice of Funding Opportunities

Announcements

New Resource for Tribal Providers on Federal Funding that can Reduce Operating Costs and Improve Resilience

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers billions of dollars that can support the Tribal health care providers by improving emergency preparedness and lowering operating expenses. To help Tribal providers access these funds, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Climate Change and Health Equity recently published a one-page resource that summarizes some of the IRA opportunities most relevant to Tribal providers. This resource is available in both English and Spanish and can be found here, along with other IRA resources such as case studies and recorded webinars. The Department also welcomes outreach from organizations open to being featured in a case study as well as any questions or requests for meetings/presentations to OCCHE@HHS.gov. 

ACL Final Tribal Consultation Policy Released

On September 11, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) released their final Tribal Consultation Policy. The policy supports several key goals associated with ACL’s programs and policies, including ensuring ACL’s programs and policies address the health and human service disparities of Indians, maximize access to critical health and human services, and advance or enhance the social, physical and mental health, and economic status of Indians. To achieve these goals, to the extent practicable and permitted by law, it is essential that Federally-recognized Indian Tribes and ACL engage in open, continuous, and meaningful consultation. The full policy is available here. 

Congressional Corner

Congress is in the second week of its three-week work period to avert a federal government shutdown on October 1^st. The House introduced a continuing resolution (H.R. 9494) last week which would have funded the government through March 2025 and included partisan riders unagreeable for the Senate. The House bill failed to gain support among the House majority and was pulled from the floor on Wednesday, September 11^th. Speaker Johnson has indicated continued work on a funding patch to bring his conference together. The Senate has also been working on a continuing resolution draft of their own, which would keep the federal government open through December 13^th. The Senate bill is expected to be released later this week.

Other legislative priorities NIHB is advocating for this fall include:

• Mandatory Funding for CSC and 105(l) Leases: NIHB will continue advancing our advocacy efforts regarding moving Tribal Contract Support Costs (CSC) and 105(l) Lease Payments to mandatory appropriations this month. This includes getting Members of Congress to sign onto letters to leadership supporting this change. Visit our advocacy resource page for more information and to see how you can get involved! 
• SDPI Renewal: The Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) expires on December 31, 2024. Click here for additional resources supporting renewal of this critical program.  

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

Hearings Schedule: 

Topic: Lower Health Care Costs for Americans: Understanding the Benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act

Committee: Senate Finance Committee

Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2024 10:00 AM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: Nomination Hearing to consider Patrice H. Kunesh, of Minnesota, to be Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission and Business meeting to consider S. 2695, S. 3857, S. 4442 & S. 4505

Committee: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024 10:00 AM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: Dialing 988 +1: Examining the Operations of the Veterans Crisis Line

Committee: House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health, Oversight Hearing

Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024 2:30 PM

Hearing Website Link

Dear Tribal Leader Letters

View NIHB’s full Dear Tribal Leader Letter Tracker here 

HHS September 4 DTLL: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Announces Tribal Consultation on Updated Draft Tribal and TEC Data Access Policies. Virtual consultation will take place on October 1, 2024 from 3-5PM EDT.  Registration details are in the DTLL.  Written comments are requested by October 31, 2024.

IHS September 3 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders to announce the publication of the final rule in the Federal Register implementing regulations governing the Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund (CHEF). (See more information above)

IHS September 3 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders to share important information for our Tribal and Federal workgroup members on the relevant rules pertaining to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and FACA's Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) exemption. The letter includes a summary of the FACA and UMRA requirements.

IHS August 12 Letter: The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and UIO Leaders to share information to help support Tribal and Urban Indian efforts to address climate change, assess associated health risks, and develop strategies to advance environmental justice.

SSA July 29 Letter: The Director writes to share opportunities to attend upcoming events. 

Upcoming Tribal Advisory Committees & Tribal Consultations

View NIHB’s full Regulations Tracker here

Consultations

ACF Annual Tribal Consultation

Consultation Agenda

Date: September 18, 2024, 1:00 – 4:30 pm ET

Meeting Registration Link

Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer Health IT Modernization Program: Site Readiness and Training

Dear Tribal Leader Letter

Date: November 7, 2024, 1:30 – 3:00 pm ET

Meeting Registration Link

Tribal Advisory Committee Meetings

Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee (TLDC) Meeting

Dates: September 17-18, 2024

(Congressional outreach day September 19)

Location: Washington, DC 

TTAG Face to Face Meeting (hybrid)

Dates: November 6-7, 2004

Location: National Museum of the American Indian, Washington DC

Listening Sessions

NIHB Virtual Listening Session on Tribal Prenatal to 3 Policy Agenda

Draft Policy Agenda

Date: September 24, 2024 | 2:00 – 3:30pm ET

Meeting Link

Feedback Due: September 30, 2024 | Electronic Feedback Form

Notice of Funding Opportunities

IHS FY 2024 Small Ambulatory Program (SAP) | Click Here to Learn More

Award Amount: Up to $3.5 million

Application Deadline: November 8, 2024

Description: Under the SAP, American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and Tribal Organizations operating an Indian health care facility pursuant to a health care services contract or compact established under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, Pub. L. No. 93-638, as amended (25 U.S.C. § 5301 et seq.), may competitively apply for SAP funding to construct, expand, or modernize a small ambulatory health care facility.

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

Visit the NIHB COVID-19 Tribal Resource Center at www.nihb.org/covid-19