S 2771119th CongressIn Committee

Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act of 2025

Introduced: Sep 11, 2025

Sponsor: Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-New Mexico)

Economy & TaxesSocial Services

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act of 2025 would add long-term funding stability for key Native American programs by allowing advance appropriations for certain accounts within the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Starting in fiscal year 2026, new budget authority for these “covered accounts” would be available for the budget year, and advance authority would be provided for the following year. The bill also requires detailed budget estimates for the year after the budget year, annual reporting to Congress on resource sufficiency and workload, and enhanced budget request information (including inflation and population considerations) for these accounts. By embedding advance funding and enhanced transparency, the bill aims to reduce funding volatility and improve planning for essential Indian programs and health services.

Key Points

1Covered accounts and advance funding
2- Creates a new authorization (Sections 112 and 833) for advance appropriations for specific annual accounts: for BIA (Operation of Indian Programs, Contract Support Costs, Indian Guaranteed Loan Program, Construction, Payments for Tribal Leases) and BIE (Operation of Indian Education Programs, Education Construction); and for IHS (Indian Services, Contract Support Costs, Payments for Tribal Leases, Indian Health Facilities).
3Timing of advance appropriations
4- For each fiscal year beginning in 2026, new budget authority for these accounts would be available for that fiscal year and include advance authority that first becomes available for the first fiscal year after the budget year (i.e., funding intended for the following year, beyond the budget year).
5Budget estimates and transparency
6- Requires the President’s budget documents to include detailed estimates for the funds needed for the following year for the covered accounts.
7- The bill amends budget requests and analysis processes for BIA, BIE, and IHS to ensure information about the following year is included in the justification and consultations with Tribes.
8Annual reporting to Congress
9- Mandates an annual report (due by July 31 each year) on the sufficiency of resources for the department and workload/demand data, prepared with tribal consultation.
10Information required in budget submissions
11- Adds requirements to Section 1105 of title 31 (the annual budget submission) to include estimates for the following year for the covered accounts.
12- Requires inflation and population considerations to be reflected in IHS budget justification and adds information on the following year’s estimates for the 833(a) accounts.

Impact Areas

Primary groups/areas affected- Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) programs, and Indian Health Service (IHS) operations and facilities serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities.- Tribal governments and tribal organizations, due to required consultation and the focus on funding stability for ongoing programs, construction, contracts, and health services.Secondary groups/areas affected- U.S. federal budget process and appropriations committees, because of added requirements for advance appropriations, year-after estimates, and annual workload reporting.- Indian health care and education service providers, who would benefit from more predictable funding but may face new reporting and planning requirements.Additional impacts- Potential reduction in funding volatility and shutdown risk for critical Indian programs, as advances can smooth out year-to-year funding gaps.- Increased administrative burden on the departments to prepare and disclose next-year estimates, inflation/pass-through costs, and population changes, along with ongoing tribal consultations.

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