PROGRESS, Tribal Governance Bill, Heads to Trump’s Desk

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that grants Tribal Nations greater self-reliance and power to shape their self-governance contracts with the federal government. The legislation now heads to the desk of President Donald Trump to be signed into law. 

It’s called the Practical Reforms and Other Goals To Reinforce the Effectiveness of Self-Governance and Self-Determination (PROGRESS) for Indian Tribes Act of 2019. 

PROGRESS streamlines the U.S. Department of Interior’s process for approving self-governance contracts and annual funding agreements for Indian programs by amending the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. PROGRESS aligns the process used by the DOI to be similar to the processes used by the Indian Health Service. And the act adds more flexibility in administering contracts for Indian Tribes that either have not qualified for self-governance or have chosen to administer only a few Bureau of Indian Affairs programs.

“This legislation is a common-sense approach at correcting bureaucracy within the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Self-Governance program,” said Senator John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “The PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act of 2019 reduces unnecessary red tape allowing for Indian Tribes to become more self-reliant by taking over and administering federal programs. Passing this bill for Indian Country is long overdue and I applaud my colleagues for moving this bill.”

The bipartisan legislation will assist hundreds of Tribes that currently participate in the Self-Governance program to operate more efficiently, while reducing the costs associated with the administration of programs. 

“The House’s vote to pass the PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act reinforces the principles of Tribal sovereignty and self-determination that are at the core of the United States’ government-to-government relationship with Tribes,” said Senator Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “By promoting local control and administration of federal Indian programs, and providing clear requirements for negotiating self-determination contracts and self-governance compacts, the PROGRESS Act will improve Tribes’ ability to customize federal Indian programs to best suit their communities’ unique needs.”

W. Ron Allen, Chair of the Self-Governance Communication and Education Tribal Consortium, added: “After over 15 years of effort Tribes are delighted with the passage of the PROGRESS Act. This bipartisan legislation underscores Congress’ continuing commitment to the fundamental principles of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act: that Tribes across America are Self-Governing and Self-Reliant and that they are best situated to decide what types of services and how they are provided to Indians and Alaska Natives.”

PROGRESS is one of five Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA) bills recently passed by the House of Representatives. Others include: 

• S. 227, Savanna’s Act;
• S. 294, the Native American Business Incubators Program Act;
• S. 832, A bill to nullify the Supplemental Treaty Between the United States of America and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of Indians of Middle Oregon, concluded on November 15, 1865
• S. 982, the Not Invisible Act of 2019

READ MORE: Native American Business Incubators Program Act Awaits President’s Signature