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FSEC highlights tribal‑consultation bill progress and circulates new tribal consultation policy
Summary
FSEC staff reported that Substitute House Bill 2496 on tribal consultation passed the House and was scheduled for the Senate environment committee; staff also circulated a new outward‑facing tribal consultation policy for a 90‑day tribal comment period and plan to host virtual meetings with tribal leaders before finalizing the policy in April.
FSEC staff briefed the council Feb. 18 on legislative and tribal‑consultation developments and on a new internal and outward‑facing tribal consultation policy.
Lisa McLean said Substitute House Bill 2496 concerning tribal consultation conducted by FSEC passed the House (vote reported in the meeting) and had been scheduled for consideration in the Senate Environment, Energy and Transportation Committee. McLean said the bill would allow a tribal council to meet with the full FSEC council, under specified conditions, without being subject to the Open Public Meetings Act and would require a consultation‑process report to be shared with tribes for a 30‑day review.
McLean also described agency compliance with an Oct. 22, 2025 executive order and noted FSEC filed a compliance report to the governor’s Office of Indian Affairs on Jan. 31, 2026. She said staff have circulated a new tribal consultation policy to tribes for 90 days of comment and will schedule virtual meetings with tribal leaders and cultural and natural‑resource directors to solicit in‑person feedback, aiming to finalize the policy by April.
Council members thanked staff for outreach and the recent screening of the documentary Sacred Hills as part of ongoing education. Staff emphasized continued government‑to‑government consultation planning across multiple projects.
