Bill would require state reporting on federal funds passed through to tribes to improve transparency

Sen. Wendy Boy introduced Senate Bill 303, a measure to increase transparency about federal funds the state distributes to tribal governments and to require departments to report allocations, indirect costs and program use to the state Office of Indian Affairs and the State‑Tribal Relations Committee.

Patrick Yawaki, representing Blackfeet Scribe and other tribal governments, testified in favor of the bill, calling it "a proactive approach to ensure funding is being properly documented from the point of allocation, distribution, and administration of the program." He urged the committee to support SB 303 so tribes can more easily identify funding that reaches them and where resources may be lacking.

Sponsor testimony emphasized the bill's accountability purpose: proponents said tribes often lack a consolidated way to see how federal money that passes through the state is being used locally, including line items used for indirect or administrative costs. The bill would require participating state departments to provide detailed reports and share the compiled results on the director of Indian Affairs website and with tribal nations.

Sen. Boy said a similar bill was vetoed in a prior session; the veto letter cited concerns about interfering with government‑to‑government consultation. She told the committee the current draft addresses those concerns and that tribal leaders have expressed support for the reporting requirement. No opponents appeared during the hearing.

Committee members asked technical questions about the scope of funds to report; the sponsor indicated she expects the bill to cover federal funds passed through state agencies and that she and stakeholders would work out drafting details in the committee process.