Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§679c Programs operated by Indian tribal organizations
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - SOCIAL SECURITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - GRANTS TO STATES FOR AID AND SERVICES TO NEEDY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AND FOR CHILD-WELFARE SERVICES › Part Part E— - Federal Payments for Foster Care, Prevention, and Permanency › § 679c
Summary
Allows Indian tribes, tribal organizations, or tribal consortia to run the child welfare program under this part if they send an approved plan and meet certain conditions. Indian tribe and tribal organization are defined in federal law (title 25, section 5304). The plan must show no uncorrected major audit problems for the past 3 years related to social services, describe the areas and people it will serve, and promise that payments for foster care, adoption assistance, and optional kinship guardianship assistance will go only to children who meet the law’s eligibility rules. For the first 12 months after a plan starts, affidavits or nunc pro tunc orders may be used to support certain court findings about reasonable efforts. The State plan where the child lived when removed will be used for one specific eligibility check. Rules let tribes list in-kind contributions and third-party sources for the tribe’s non-Federal share for fiscal quarters after September 30, 2009 and before October 1, 2014, with limits: no more than 25% for some payments and no more than 12% for others for quarters before October 1, 2011. After that, and for quarters beginning after September 30, 2011, or after September 30, 2014, tribes must follow regulations the Secretary issues, with some limited transitional exceptions. If a tribe chooses to provide prevention services, the Secretary will set requirements and performance measures that match state rules as much as possible but allow cultural adaptations. Tribes must keep tribal authorities to set standards for tribal foster homes and child care institutions. A tribal consortium may file one shared plan. The rule that requires an electronic interstate case system for States does not apply to tribes. The federal medical assistance percentage for a tribe will be calculated using the tribe’s service population, but it can never be lower than the Federal medical assistance percentage for the State where the tribe is located. The Secretary must consider information tribes submit for that calculation. Cooperative agreements or contracts between a tribe and a State that were in effect on October 7, 2008 stay in force unless changed by the parties. The John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program is not covered by these tribe-operating rules. Other child-protection rules that apply when payments are made under foster care or adoption assistance remain in effect.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §679c
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)In this section, the terms “Indian tribe” and “tribal organization” have the meanings given those terms in section 5304 of title 25.
(b)Except as otherwise provided in this section, this part shall apply in the same manner as this part applies to a State to an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium that elects to operate a program under this part and has a plan approved by the Secretary under section 671 of this title in accordance with this section.
(c)(1)An Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium that elects to operate a program under this part shall include with its plan submitted under section 671 of this title the following:
(A)Evidence demonstrating that the tribe, organization, or consortium has not had any uncorrected significant or material audit exceptions under Federal grants or contracts that directly relate to the administration of social services for the 3-year period prior to the date on which the plan is submitted.
(B)For purposes of complying with section 671(a)(3) of this title, a description of the service area or areas and populations to be served under the plan and an assurance that the plan shall be in effect in all service area or areas and for all populations served by the tribe, organization, or consortium.
(C)(i)Subject to clause (ii) of this subparagraph, an assurance that the plan will provide—
(I)foster care maintenance payments under section 672 of this title only on behalf of children who satisfy the eligibility requirements of section 672(a) of this title;
(II)adoption assistance payments under section 673 of this title pursuant to adoption assistance agreements only on behalf of children who satisfy the eligibility requirements for such payments under that section;
(III)at the option of the tribe, organization, or consortium, kinship guardianship assistance payments in accordance with section 673(d) of this title only on behalf of children who meet the requirements of section 673(d)(3) of this title; and
(IV)at the option of the tribe, organization, or consortium, services and programs specified in section 671(e)(1) of this title to children described in section 671(e)(2) of this title and their parents or kin caregivers, in accordance with section 671(e) of this title and subparagraph (E).
(ii)For purposes of determining whether a child whose placement and care are the responsibility of an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium with a plan approved under section 671 of this title in accordance with this section satisfies the requirements of section 672(a) of this title, the following shall apply:
(I)Only with respect to the first 12 months for which such plan is in effect, the requirement in paragraph (1) of section 672(a) of this title shall not be interpreted so as to prohibit the use of affidavits or nunc pro tunc orders as verification documents in support of the reasonable efforts and contrary to the welfare of the child judicial determinations required under that paragraph.
(II)The State plan approved under section 602 of this title (as in effect on July 16, 1996) of the State in which the child resides at the time of removal from the home shall apply to the determination of whether the child satisfies section 672(a)(3) of this title.
(D)Only for fiscal year quarters beginning after September 30, 2009, and before October 1, 2014, a list of the in-kind expenditures (which shall be fairly evaluated, and may include plants, equipment, administration, or services) and the third-party sources of such expenditures that the tribe, organization, or consortium may claim as part of the non-Federal share of administrative or training expenditures attributable to such quarters for purposes of receiving payments under section 674(a)(3) of this title. The Secretary shall permit a tribe, organization, or consortium to claim in-kind expenditures from third party sources for such purposes during such quarters subject to the following:
(i)Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed as preventing a tribe, organization, or consortium from claiming any expenditures or indirect costs for purposes of receiving payments under section 674(a) of this title that a State with a plan approved under section 671(a) of this title could claim for such purposes.
(ii)(I)With respect to amounts expended during a fiscal year quarter beginning after September 30, 2009, and before October 1, 2011, for which the tribe, organization, or consortium is eligible for payments under subparagraph (C), (D), or (E) of section 674(a)(3), not more than 25 percent of such amounts may consist of in-kind expenditures from third-party sources specified in the list required under this subparagraph to be submitted with the plan.
(II)With respect to amounts expended during a fiscal year quarter beginning after September 30, 2009, and before October 1, 2011, for which the tribe, organization, or consortium is eligible for payments under subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 674(a)(3) of this title, not more than 12 percent of such amounts may consist of in-kind expenditures from third-party sources that are specified in such list and described in subclause (III).
(III)For purposes of subclause (II), the sources described in this subclause are the following:
(aa)A State or local government.
(bb)An Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium other than the tribe, organization, or consortium submitting the plan.
(cc)A public institution of higher education.
(dd)A Tribal College or University (as defined in section 1059c of title 20).
(ee)A private charitable organization.
(iii)(I)Except as provided in subclause (II) of this clause and clause (v) of this subparagraph, with respect to amounts expended during any fiscal year quarter beginning after September 30, 2011, and before October 1, 2014, for which the tribe, organization, or consortium is eligible for payments under any subparagraph of section 674(a)(3) of this title, the only in-kind expenditures from third-party sources that may be claimed by the tribe, organization, or consortium for purposes of determining the non-Federal share of such expenditures (without regard to whether the expenditures are specified on the list required under this subparagraph to be submitted with the plan) are in-kind expenditures that are specified in regulations promulgated by the Secretary under section 301(e)(2) of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 and are from an applicable third-party source specified in such regulations, and do not exceed the applicable percentage for claiming such in-kind expenditures specified in the regulations.
(II)Subject to clause (v), if the tribe, organization, or consortium is an early approved tribe, organization, or consortium (as defined in subclause (III) of this clause), the Secretary shall not require the tribe, organization, or consortium to comply with such regulations before October 1, 2013. Until the earlier of the date such tribe, organization, or consortium comes into compliance with such regulations or October 1, 2013, the limitations on the claiming of in-kind expenditures from third-party sources under clause (ii) shall continue to apply to such tribe, organization, or consortium (without regard to fiscal limitation) for purposes of determining the non-Federal share of amounts expended by the tribe, organization, or consortium during any fiscal year quarter that begins after September 30, 2011, and before such date of compliance or October 1, 2013, whichever is earlier.
(III)For purposes of subclause (II) of this clause, the term “early approved tribe, organization, or consortium” means an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium that had a plan approved under section 671 of this title in accordance with this section for any quarter of fiscal year 2010 or 2011.
(iv)Subject to clause (v) of this subparagraph, with respect to amounts expended during any fiscal year quarter beginning after September 30, 2014, for which the tribe, organization, or consortium is eligible for payments under any subparagraph of section 674(a)(3) of this title, in-kind expenditures from third-party sources may be claimed for purposes of determining the non-Federal share of expenditures under any subparagraph of such section 674(a)(3) only in accordance with the regulations promulgated by the Secretary under section 301(e)(2) of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.
(v)If, at the time expenditures are made for a fiscal year quarter beginning after September 30, 2011, and before October 1, 2014, for which a tribe, organization, or consortium may receive payments for 11 So in original. under section 674(a)(3) of this title, no regulations required to be promulgated under section 301(e)(2) of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 are in effect, and no legislation has been enacted specifying otherwise—
(I)in the case of any quarter of fiscal year 2012, 2013, or 2014, the limitations on claiming in-kind expenditures from third-party sources under clause (ii) of this subparagraph shall apply (without regard to fiscal limitation) for purposes of determining the non-Federal share of such expenditures; and
(II)in the case of any quarter of fiscal year 2015 or any fiscal year thereafter, no tribe, organization, or consortium may claim in-kind expenditures from third-party sources for purposes of determining the non-Federal share of such expenditures if a State with a plan approved under section 671(a) of this title could not claim in-kind expenditures from third-party sources for such purposes.
(E)(i)In the case of a tribe, organization, or consortium that elects to provide services and programs specified in section 671(e)(1) of this title to children described in section 671(e)(2) of this title and their parents or kin caregivers under the plan, the Secretary shall specify the requirements applicable to the provision of the services and programs. The requirements shall, to the greatest extent practicable, be consistent with the requirements applicable to States under section 671(e) of this title and shall permit the provision of the services and programs in the form of services and programs that are adapted to the culture and context of the tribal communities served.
(ii)The Secretary shall establish specific performance measures for each tribe, organization, or consortium that elects to provide services and programs specified in section 671(e)(1) of this title. The performance measures shall, to the greatest extent practicable, be consistent with the prevention services measures required for States under section 671(e)(6) of this title but shall allow for consideration of factors unique to the provision of the services by tribes, organizations, or consortia.
(2)For purposes of complying with section 671(a)(10) of this title, an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium shall establish and maintain a tribal authority or authorities which shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining tribal standards for tribal foster family homes and tribal child care institutions.
(3)The participating Indian tribes or tribal organizations of a tribal consortium may develop and submit a single plan under section 671 of this title that meets the requirements of this section.
(4)The requirement in section 671(a)(25) of this title that a State plan provide that the State shall have in effect procedures providing for the use of an electronic interstate case-processing system shall not apply to an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium that elects to operate a program under this part.
(d)(1)For purposes of determining the Federal medical assistance percentage applicable to an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or a tribal consortium under paragraphs (1), (2), (5), and (6)(A) of section 674(a) of this title, the calculation of the per capita income of the Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium shall be based upon the service population of the Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium, except that in no case shall an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or a tribal consortium receive less than the Federal medical assistance percentage for any State in which the tribe, organization, or consortium is located.
(2)Before making a calculation under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider any information submitted by an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or a tribal consortium that the Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium considers relevant to making the calculation of the per capita income of the Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium.
(e)Any cooperative agreement or contract entered into between an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or a tribal consortium and a State for the administration or payment of funds under this part that is in effect as of October 7, 2008, shall remain in full force and effect, subject to the right of either party to the agreement or contract to revoke or modify the agreement or contract pursuant to the terms of the agreement or contract. Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the authority for an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or a tribal consortium and a State to enter into a cooperative agreement or contract for the administration or payment of funds under this part.
(f)Except as provided in section 677(j) of this title, subsection (b) of this section shall not apply with respect to the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program established under section 677 of this title (or with respect to payments made under section 674(a)(4) of this title or grants made under section 674(e) of this title).
(g)Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the application of section 672(h) of this title to a child on whose behalf payments are paid under section 672 of this title, or the application of section 673(b) of this title to a child on whose behalf payments are made under section 673 of this title pursuant to an adoption assistance agreement or a kinship guardianship assistance agreement, by an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium that elects to operate a foster care and adoption assistance program in accordance with this section.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 301(e)(2) of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, referred to in subsec. (c)(1)(D)(iii)(I), (iv), (v), is section 301(e)(2) of Pub. L. 110–351, which is set out as a note under section 671 of this title.
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (c)(1)(C)(i)(IV). Pub. L. 115–123, § 50711(e)(1)(A)(i), added subcl. (IV). Subsec. (c)(1)(E). Pub. L. 115–123, § 50711(e)(1)(A)(ii), added subpar. (E). Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 115–123, § 50722(b), added par. (4). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–123, § 50711(e)(2), struck out “for foster care maintenance and adoption assistance payments” after “percentage” in heading. Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 115–123, § 50711(e)(1)(B), substituted “(5), and (6)(A)” for “and (5)”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–123 effective Oct. 1, 2018, subject to transition rules for required State legislation or tribal action, see section 50734 of Pub. L. 115–123, set out as a note under section 622 of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective Oct. 1, 2009, without regard to whether implementing
Regulations
have been promulgated, see section 301(f) of Pub. L. 110–351, set out as an
Effective Date
of 2008 Amendment note under section 671 of this title. Enactment of this section effective Oct. 7, 2008, except as otherwise provided, and applicable to payments under this part and part B of this subchapter for quarters beginning on or after
Effective Date
of enactment, with delay permitted if State legislation is required to meet additional requirements, see section 601 of Pub. L. 110–351, set out as an
Effective Date
of 2008 Amendment note under section 671 of this title.
Construction
For
Construction
of section, see section 301(d) of Pub. L. 110–351, set out as a
Construction
of 2008 Amendment note under section 671 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 679c
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73