Indian Trust Asset Reform Amendment Act
This bill, titled the Indian Trust Asset Reform Amendment Act, proposes to substantially revise and expand the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act (ITARA). The changes broaden who can participate in trust asset management (adding “tribal organizations” and permitting participation on behalf of a tribe), adjust how tribal asset management plans are developed and amended, and increase the range of assets and activities that tribes can manage under an approved plan (including forest management and surface leasing). It also strengthens tribal involvement in planning for multi-tribe arrangements and clarifies the Secretary’s oversight role, while preserving the federal government’s trust responsibilities. Notably, it preserves tribal funding eligibility and formalizes processes for amendments to approved plans, with new provisions around environmental consultation and public input. In short, the bill moves more authority over Indian trust assets to tribes and tribal organizations through formal plans, while maintaining federal oversight, funding eligibility, and the government’s trust obligations. The changes aim to modernize asset management, expand the scope of what can be managed, and clarify procedural requirements for cross-tribal arrangements and forest-related activities.
Key Points
- 1Expands definitions to include “tribal organizations” and requires that contracts or grants serving more than one tribe receive approval from each involved tribe. It also clarifies who counts as an “Indian tribe.”
- 2Creates an Indian Trust Asset Management Project (ITAMP) structure in which tribes or tribal organizations submit an asset management plan and related authorizing resolutions to participate; tribal organizations may act on behalf of a tribe if they meet specific identification and authorization requirements.
- 3Reforms the Indian Trust Asset Management Plan (Section 204) to allow broader planning content (including regulations administered by other federal agencies), enables amendments to approved plans with Secretary review, and ensures continued eligibility for federal funding for tribes operating under an approved plan.
- 4Broadens and clarifies trust asset management authority (Section 205), specifically enabling tribes to manage trust assets (including forest management and surface leasing) under their approved plans, with the Secretary retaining oversight and the ability to require approval for certain transactions; it also aligns forest management terms with related federal law and requires meaningful participation by interested or affected parties in forest-related actions.
- 5Reinforces the federal government’s trust relationship by stating that nothing in the title alters the United States’ trust responsibility to Indian tribes.