I am very excited about this. It’s the first step in loosening up the restrictions on HHS money that needs to be flowing to tribes for social service and justice systems.
The new integration comes under Public Law 102-477 (P.L. 102-477). Specifically, ACF recommended, and BIA approved for Citizen Potawatomi Nation, to integrate its child welfare services grants with several other federal grants for employment, training and related services into a single program and budget to address Tribal priorities.
“Public Law 102-477 has long been critical legislation for ACF to promote Tribal sovereignty, and expansion to include new ACF programs helps meet our nation-to-nation responsibilities,” said ACF Acting Assistant Secretary Jeff Hild. “The feedback we hear from our Tribal advisory committee and Tribal leaders is Tribes know best how to serve their citizens, and 477 is one way to do this.”
Under P.L. 102-477, Tribes can integrate their federal employment, training and related services from across the federal government to improve the effectiveness of those services. Tribes wishing to integrate a program into a 477 plan must first submit a proposed plan to DOI that identifies the programs to be integrated and consolidated. Once a program is included in such a plan, Tribes have very broad flexibility in use of those funds.
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