Practical Reforms and Other Goals To Reinforce the Effectiveness of Self-Governance and Self-Determination for Indian Tribes Act of 2018 or the PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act
This bill amends the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to replace the Tribal Self-Governance Demonstration Project with the Tribal Self-Governance Program. Under the program, Indian tribes or organizations may receive grants to plan for participation in self-governance and to negotiate the terms of participation.
In addition, the bill revises the Department of the Interior's process for approving self-governance compacts and funding agreements with Indian tribes. Interior must negotiate contracts and funding agreements to maximize implementation of the self-governance policy. The bill sets forth requirements for tribes participating in self-governance with respect to conflicts of interest, audits, redesign and consolidation of programs, retrocession of programs, nonduplication of funding, and records.
Funding agreements must include provisions for Interior to monitor the performance of trust functions by the tribe and to reassume a program and funding under specified circumstances.
Indian tribes participating in self-governance may elect to assume some federal responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to certain construction projects.
The bill prohibits a tribe from being obligated to continue performance of a compact or funding agreement that provides insufficient funding.