§2281a Tribal Liaison

Summary

Each Corps of Engineers district that includes a federally recognized 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 participation in Corps programs, improve outreach and engagement, find Tribal communities with water problems, strengthen government-to-government consultation, run consultation policies, and train staff to work respectfully with Tribal lands and cultural sites. The Secretary can assign other related duties. Within 120 days after December 23, 2022, the Secretary must finish rules that describe the Tribal Liaison job and list required experience, including work with Tribes and water issues. Pay for the job comes from the civil works supervision and administration budget and does not depend on increasing that budget. A Tribal community means a federally recognized Indigenous community. A Tribal Liaison is a permanent district employee who is the main contact between the District Commander and Tribes and keeps government-to-government relations consistent.