Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4]
In Committee
Summary
Elevates Indian Health Service leadership to an Assistant Secretary. This bill would replace the current IHS Director with an Assistant Secretary for Indian Health who reports directly to the HHS Secretary and has expanded staffing authorities and pay alignment with other HHS assistant secretaries.
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- IHS leaders and staff: The Assistant Secretary would perform the duties now done by the Director and could, with the Secretary's approval, appoint a Deputy Assistant Secretary and hire officers and attorneys to run the Service.
- Service management: The role would be positioned alongside other HHS Assistant Secretaries through a direct reporting line, modernizing the leadership structure for IHS.
- Federal pay and statutes: The bill updates pay classifications by removing the separate Director pay slot and shifting Assistant Secretary listings in the Executive Schedule, and it treats existing references to the Director as references to the Assistant Secretary.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Elevating Indian Health Service Leadership
If enacted, the bill would rename the Indian Health Service (IHS) leader the "Assistant Secretary for Indian Health." The Assistant Secretary would report directly to the HHS Secretary. Any federal reference to the IHS Director would be read as referring to the Assistant Secretary. With Secretary approval, the Assistant Secretary could appoint a Deputy Assistant Secretary and hire officers and attorneys to run IHS activities. The bill does not itself appropriate funds for those hires. It would change Executive Schedule listings by moving HHS Assistant Secretaries from (6) to (7). It would also remove the separate listing for the IHS Director. The statutory service-date reference would shift to this Act's enactment date in 2025.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4]
AZ • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14]
OH • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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