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Tribal leaders and advocates urge Congress to expand self-governance authorities and modernize federal systems
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Summary
Witnesses recommended Congress extend ISDEAA-style authorities to USDA, additional HHS programs and DOJ funds, stabilize contract support costs and modernize BIA/Interior systems that tribes rely on to run compacted programs.
Witnesses at the April 2 field hearing asked Congress to expand tribal self-governance authorities beyond the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Indian Health Service (IHS) and to modernize federal administrative systems that tribes use to run compacted programs.
Jay Spann, executive director of the Self Governance Communication and Education Tribal Consortium, recommended multiple changes in his prepared testimony: extend ISDEAA authority into the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to encompass food distribution, rural development and conservation; expand authority into additional Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs; consider Department of Justice programs for public-safety compacts; modernize BIA information systems for funds transfer and records access; and address an inconsistency that limits contract support cost (CSC) payments to only certain Interior accounts. Spann said a single line of appropriation language could make CSC available department-wide.
Representative Frank Lucas and other committee members referenced the 2018 farm bill pilot that allowed certain tribes to purchase USDA foods under the Food Distribution on Indian Reservations program. Witnesses representing the Chickasaw and Cherokee Nations described that pilot as effective in enabling local procurement and supply-chain resilience. Chief Hoskin said the pilot helped tribes buy locally and supported tribal-owned meat-processing enterprises that formed when pandemic-era bottlenecks exposed vulnerabilities.
Several witnesses asked Congress and Interior to speed access to the trust-accounting tools tribes need to operate land-title and lease-recording offices (LTROs). Martin Harvier (Salt River testimony) said the community now records leases in 48 hours after compacting LTRO functions, compared with up to six months under the BIA. Quapaw Chair Marlene Supernaw urged addressing gaps in EPA cooperation for Superfund work and cited pending legislation specific to Quapaw settlement implementation.
Why this matters: Expansion and administrative fixes would let tribes apply self-governance models to a wider set of federal programs, reduce duplicative rules and enable tribes to integrate funding streams for holistic services. Witnesses argued the changes would improve service delivery, reduce federal red tape and create local economic opportunities.
Committee staff requested written follow-up on recommended statutory language and the consequences of moving CSC/Section 105(l) leasing to a mandatory appropriations framework.
