[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 53 (Monday, March 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16120-16121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6590]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Tribal Consultations
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice of Tribal Consultation.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Tribal
Government Relations (OTGR) will host a Tribal Consultation on the
following VA programs: Native American Direct Loan Program, Tribal
Cemetery Grants, and local implementation of the 2010 VA/Indian Health
Service (IHS) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
DATES: Comments must be submitted to VA no later than Friday, March 30,
2012. The Consultation Session will be held on April 5, 2012.
ADDRESSES: The Consultation Session will be held at L'Enfant Plaza
Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20024, at 9 a.m.,
Eastern Standard Time.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erika Moott, Executive Officer, VA
Office of Tribal Government Relations at (202) 461-7400, by email at
Tribalgovernmentconsultation@va.gov, or by mail at Suite 915L, 810
Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 6, 2000, President Clinton
signed Executive Order 13175 entitled ``Consultation and Coordination
With Indian Tribal Governments,'' in order to ``establish regular and
meaningful consultation and collaboration with [T]ribal officials in
the development of Federal policies that have Tribal implications, to
strengthen the United States government-to-government relationships
with Indian Tribes, and to reduce the imposition of unfunded mandates
upon Indian Tribes * * *''
On November 5, 2009, President Obama signed the Memorandum on
Tribal Consultation, pronouncing Tribal consultations a critical
ingredient of a sound and productive Federal-Tribal relationship. The
Presidential Memorandum directs all Federal
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agencies to develop a detailed plan of action to implement Executive
Order 13175 and to engage in regular and meaningful consultation and
collaboration with Tribal officials in the development of Federal
policies that have Tribal implications. The President stated that his
Administration is committed to complete and consistent implementation
of Executive Order 13175.
As provided in President Obama's Memorandum on Tribal Consultation,
``[t]he United States has a unique legal and political relationship
with [American Indian/Alaska Native Tribal governments], established
through and confirmed by the Constitution of the United States,
treaties, statutes, executive orders, and judicial decisions. In
recognition of that special relationship, pursuant to Executive Order
13175 of November 6, 2000, executive departments and agencies * * * are
charged with engaging in regular and meaningful consultation and
collaboration with [T]ribal officials in the development of Federal
policies that have [T]ribal implications, and are responsible for
strengthening the government-to-government relationship between the
United States and [American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes].''
The following topics will be discussed during consultation:
National Cemetery Administration: In January 2012, VA issued a
final rule, 77 FR 4471, amending VA's regulations governing Federal
grants for the establishment, expansion, and improvement of veterans
cemeteries. This final rule implemented through regulation section 403
of the ``Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act
of 2006,'' which establishes eligibility for Tribal Organizations to
apply for grants for Veterans cemeteries on Trust Lands. Public Law
109-461, 120 Stat. 3403 (Dec. 22, 2006); see also 38 U.S.C. 2408(f).
This authority allows VA to award grants under the Veterans Cemetery
Grant Program to Tribal Organizations in the same manner, and under the
same conditions, as grants to States. VA will consult with Tribes on
recommendations for increasing outreach and awareness of the funding
opportunity in addition to seeking input on challenges Tribes
experience in applying for these grants.
Veterans Health Administration: The VA-IHS MOU was signed by Dr.
Petzel and Dr. Roubideaux on October 1, 2010. The purpose of the MOU is
to enhance the health care status of American Indian and Alaska Native
(AI/AN) Veterans through the delivery of accessible and quality health
care services. This will be accomplished by establishing greater
collaboration and resource-sharing between both agencies. VA will
consult with Tribes on recommendations for increasing Tribal Government
involvement in MOU workgroups and workgroup activities at the national
and local levels.
Veterans Benefits Administration: The Native American Veteran
Direct Loan Program (NADL), created by Congress in 1992, enables
eligible veterans the opportunity to obtain VA direct loan benefits on
Federal trust land. Until the creation of this program, the only way a
Native American Veteran could use a VA-housing benefit was to try to
find a mortgage lender willing to make a VA-guaranteed loan on Federal
trust land. Lenders have been historically reluctant to lend money to
finance the purchase of homes on land held in trust by the Federal
Government. VA will consult with Tribes on recommendations for
increasing awareness and utilization of the Native American Direct
Loan.
Comments must be submitted to VA no later than Friday, March 30,
2012, to: Erika Moott, Executive Officer, VA Office of Tribal
Government Relations at (202) 461-7400, by email at
Tribalgovernmentconsultation@va.gov, or by mail at Suite 915L, 810
Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420. However, this deadline does
not preclude anyone from providing testimony at the session and we
will, to the extent that time allows, hear your testimony. If you plan
on attending to present your testimony, please provide the name, title,
and Tribe of the individual who will be presenting to Erika Moott. In
order to facilitate the discussion, we ask that presenters provide a
brief overview of the testimony and include the specific issues to be
addressed at the session. For any Tribe unable to attend to present
testimony, please be aware that OTGR will keep the testimony record
open for 30 days after the date of the consultation. After 30 days,
OTGR will provide written responses to all comments received, including
those that were presented in person.
To register for the consultation, please submit your name, Tribe or
organization, phone, and email address to
Tribalgovernmentconsultation@va.gov.
Approved: March 12, 2012.
John R. Gingrich,
Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-6590 Filed 3-16-12; 8:45 am]
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