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Chairman highlights Tawahi pilot at BIA as a model for codifying tribal-led services
Summary
On the Senate floor the chairman cited the Tawahi pilot at the Bureau of Indian Affairs as an example of a tribal-led, holistic in-home program that helped a young mother recover from addiction and homelessness and argued the bill would codify similar approaches.
The chairman recounted testimony from the Fort Belknap Indian Community describing the Tawahi pilot at the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a model for coordinated, culturally grounded services. He said the program meets families in their homes, reduces stigma, and connects people to care.
As an example, the chairman described a young mother who "had struggled with addiction and homelessness" and who, he said, told the committee that "Tawahi gave me the nudge that I needed." According to the chairman, that woman is now sober, raising her children and helping build a brighter future for her family — an anecdote he used to illustrate why the bill would codify and sustain programs like Tawahi.
The chairman said the legislation would seek to make such pilots permanent and to give tribal communities authority and resources to deliver coordinated services that combine education, employment, childcare and family supports. He emphasized the testimony came from tribal communities and tribal leaders and framed their experience as central to the bill's design.
