PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

After March 23, 2010, the Comptroller General must send a report to the Secretary, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, the House Committee on Natural Resources, and give the report to each Indian tribe. The report must describe a study of the contract health service program. It must cover past funding, how much funding is needed, and how the program is run, including how money is shared. The study was requested by Congress in March 2009 or under section 1680t. When the Secretary gets the report, the Secretary must talk with Indian tribes about the program and how funds are distributed. The talks must check if the current sharing formula would need changes if the program got the Comptroller General’s recommended funding, find any unfair or unequal results now or under that recommended funding, identify program management problems that cause inefficiency, and gather other ideas to fix problems. If the Secretary finds unfair results, the Secretary may start procedures under subchapter III of chapter 5 of title 5 to negotiate or create regulations to set a disbursement formula.

Title 25, §1621y

Indians, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Submission of report

As soon as practicable after March 23, 2010, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Secretary, the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and make available to each Indian tribe, a report describing the results of the study of the Comptroller General regarding the funding of the contract health service program (including historic funding levels and a recommendation of the funding level needed for the program) and the administration of the contract health service program (including the distribution of funds pursuant to the program), as requested by Congress in March 2009, or pursuant to section 1680t of this title.

(b)Consultation with tribes

On receipt of the report under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with Indian tribes regarding the contract health service program, including the distribution of funds pursuant to the program—

(1)to determine whether the current distribution formula would require modification if the contract health service program were funded at the level recommended by the Comptroller General;

(2)to identify any inequities in the current distribution formula under the current funding level or inequitable results for any Indian tribe under the funding level recommended by the Comptroller General;

(3)to identify any areas of program administration that may result in the inefficient or ineffective management of the program; and

(4)to identify any other issues and recommendations to improve the administration of the contract health services program and correct any unfair results or funding disparities identified under paragraph (2).

(c)Subsequent action by Secretary

If, after consultation with Indian tribes under subsection (b), the Secretary determines that any issue described in subsection (b)(2) exists, the Secretary may initiate procedures under subchapter III of chapter 5 of title 5 to negotiate or promulgate regulations to establish a disbursement formula for the contract health service program funding.

Editorial Notes

Codification section 226 of Pub. L. 94–437 is based on section 137 of title I of S. 1790, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, as reported by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate in Dec. 2009, which was enacted into law by section 10221(a) of Pub. L. 111–148.

§1621y Contract Health Service Administration and Disbursement Formula

Summary

Title 25, §1621y

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Citations & Metadata