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1 1 (July 16, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdayl0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 01;0i E.$~ & July 16, 2020 The Bureau of Indian Affairs: FY2021 Appropriations The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), in the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), administers programs for tribal government, social services, law enforcement, infrastructure, and trust land and natural resources in Indian Country. BIA plays a leading role in carrying out federal trust, treaty, and other responsibilities to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and federally recognized tribes. This In Focus examines BIA's request for FY2021 discretionary appropriations in comparison with FY2020 enacted appropriations, not including enacted supplemental appropriations. It does not cover the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) or the Indian Health Service. Issues for Congress include determining the amount of discretionary funding to provide BIA, its distribution across programs and activities, and the terms and conditions of such funding. Congress also may consider whether to adopt BIA proposals for a new appropriations account and organizational changes, as discussed below. ~) ,pre ptr r, kti tons $' \s, Congress generally provides discretionary appropriations to BIA in annual appropriations laws for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. P.L. 116- 94, Division D, contained $2,032.1 million in discretionary appropriations for BIA in FY2020 (Table 1). BIA also received $453.0 million in FY2020 supplemental funding in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; P.L. 116-136). (For further information, see CRS In Focus IF11500, The CARES Act: Implications for Tribes, by Mainon A. Schwartz.) Table I. Bureau of Indian Affairs Discretionary Appropriations by Account (dollars in millions) FY2020 FY20 21 Account Enacted Requested Operation of Indian Programs $1,577.1 $1,446.7 Contract Support Costs- $271.0 $335.0 Payment for Tribal Leasesb - $21.6 Construction $126.6 $59.8 Settlements $45.6 $43.9 Loan Program $11.8 $0.9 Total $2,032.1 $1,907.9 Source: Prepared by CRS with information from the House Appropriations Committee. a. Because Contract Support Costs are based on such sums as necessary, the value for FY2021 deviates from the value reported in the FY2021 BIA request due to newer information. b. BIA proposed this as a new account in the FY2021 request. BIA requested $1,907.9 million in discretionary funding for FY202 1, a decrease of 6.1% from FY2020. BIA discretionary appropriations are provided through several accounts. Operation of Indian Programs (OIP) is BIA's largest account. Other accounts include Contract Support Costs, Construction, Indian Land and Water Claim Settlements and Miscellaneous Payments to Indians, and the Indian Guaranteed Loan Program. For FY2021, BIA proposed a funding decrease for most accounts. Several tribes addressed sufficiency of funding and priorities for increased funding in testimony during congressional hearings on FY2021 appropriations. BIA requested $1,446.7 million for OIP for FY2021, a decrease from $1,577.1 million (8.3%) in FY2020. Table 2 shows FY2020 enacted and FY2021 requested appropriations for each OIP activity, several of which are discussed below. Of the FY2021 OIP total, BIA requested $625.3 million as tribal priority allocation (TPA) funding. TPA is a BIA budgetary tool that allows direct involvement by tribes in setting priorities for their operating programs. TPA includes funds across multiple activities that are part of a guaranteed base funding for tribes. Tribal Government. BIA requested $337.4 million for this activity in FY2021, a $3.2 million (1%) increase over FY2020 as enacted. This activity assists tribes in strengthening government structures, such as funding for newly recognized tribes, and supports self-governance through contracting and compacting of federal programs by tribes under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA; 25 U.S.C. §§5301 et seq). BIA's request included new tribe funding for the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians (federally recognized in 2019). Within the overall increase, BIA proposed decreases for some subactivities, including self-governance compacts and road maintenance. Human Services. BIA requested $87.5 million in FY2021, a $68.2 million (43.8%) decrease from FY2020 as enacted. This activity supports social programs, such as Social Services, Welfare Assistance, and Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) programs. BIA would eliminate funding for the Housing Improvement Program, decrease Welfare Assistance funding, and increase funding for ICWA. Trust-Natural Resources Management. BIA requested $209.7 million in FY2021 for this activity, a $17.1 million (7.5%) decrease from FY2020 as enacted. This activity assists tribes with managing, developing, and protecting trust lands and natural resources. BIA requested to decrease funding for most subactivities and to eliminate funding for Cooperative Landscape Conservation. This activity p\w -- , gnom goo mppm qq\ a , q 'S I 11LIANJILiN,

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