Carson City — The Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committees on Saturday approved continued budget authority for the grants-to-tribes program administered by the Department of Native American Affairs and approved funding for fiscal and IT support as the department operates as a stand‑alone agency.

The committees approved technical adjustments to add approximately $271,944 in general fund appropriations over the 2025–27 biennium for fiscal services and information-technology support (Decision Units E300 and E301) after the Nevada Indian Commission transitioned to a standalone Department of Native American Affairs on July 1, 2024. Fiscal staff recommended adding additional OCIO services and annual website maintenance that were not included in the governor’s base recommendation.

On the grants-to-tribes program — funded with previously awarded American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds — the department reported that about $9.6 million remained to be expended from an original $20 million allocation, with many tribes receiving about $714,000 apiece for projects. The department said several tribes requested extensions because of construction or weather delays; the department anticipated expending all ARPA funding by Dec. 31, 2026.

Fiscal staff recommended and the committees approved technical adjustments to include $4.8 million in FY 2026 and $754,551 in FY 2027 in ARPA authority for ongoing subgrants and administrative costs, including $124,006.51 for contract grant-administration costs in FY 2026. The motion to add that authority was moved by Assemblymember Monroe Moreno and seconded by Senator Winn; it passed by voice vote.

The committees also approved the department’s recommendation for Stewart Indian School’s educational outreach funding: roughly $37,052,220.544 in general funds and $14,005.008 in room-tax revenue over the biennium was included in the packet to support the education coordinator and related programming, supplies and travel. (Other closing items include a contingent funding-source change that depends on a separate decision in the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs budget.)

Why it matters: The grants-to-tribes program supports capital and other projects for Nevada’s 28 tribes; retaining and adjusting ARPA authority ensures funds remain available as tribes finish projects and request extensions. Funding and IT/fiscal support give the newly standalone department resources to manage grants and maintain operations.

What the department said: Fiscal staff reported the department had expended about $10 million to date; four tribes had spent their full awards; fiscal staff processed a $4.5 million transfer on March 25 to support six additional subgrants projected to finish by June 2025. The department requested continued contract grant‑management positions through FY 2026 to administer closing and reporting requirements.

Next steps: Fiscal staff were authorized to make technical adjustments; committees approved retaining the ARPA budget authority and asked staff to incorporate the department’s projections into the base budget.