§2281a Tribal Liaison

Summary

Each Army Corps district that has a Tribal community must have a Tribal Liaison on staff no later than 1 year after December 23, 2022. The Tribal Liaison must advise the District Commander and work to remove barriers to Tribal access and participation in Corps programs, improve outreach and engagement, find and help Tribes with water resource problems, strengthen government-to-government consultation, coordinate consultation policies and rules, give training and tools so Corps staff can work respectfully with Tribal communities (especially about ancestral or burial sites), and handle other tasks the Secretary names. Within 120 days after December 23, 2022, the Secretary must finish guidelines for the job description and the required qualifications, including experience with Tribal communities and water issues. Pay for the Tribal Liaison will come from the civil works program’s existing administrative budget line, and filling the job cannot depend on increasing that budget. A Tribal community is a group recognized under federal law as indigenous people of the United States. A Tribal Liaison is a permanent district employee who serves as the direct contact to the District Commander and helps keep government-to-government relations consistent.