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Executive Order 13175 - Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments


[Federal Register: November 9, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 218)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Page 67249-67252]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09no00-167]

                        Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 67249]]

                Executive Order 13175 of November 6, 2000


                Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal

                Governments

                By the authority vested in me as President by the
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of
                America, and in order to establish regular and
                meaningful consultation and collaboration with tribal
                officials in the development of Federal policies that
                have tribal implications, to strengthen the United
                States government-to-government relationships with
                Indian tribes, and to reduce the imposition of unfunded
                mandates upon Indian tribes; it is hereby ordered as
                follows:

                Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this order:

                    (a) ``Policies that have tribal implications''
                refers to regulations, legislative comments or proposed
                legislation, and other policy statements or actions
                that have substantial direct effects on one or more
                Indian tribes, on the relationship between the Federal
                Government and Indian tribes, or on the distribution of
                power and responsibilities between the Federal
                Government and Indian tribes.
                    (b) ``Indian tribe'' means an Indian or Alaska
                Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or
                community that the Secretary of the Interior
                acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe pursuant to
                the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994,
                25 U.S.C. 479a.
                    (c) ``Agency'' means any authority of the United
                States that is an ``agency'' under 44 U.S.C. 3502(1),
                other than those considered to be independent
                regulatory agencies, as defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(5).
                    (d) ``Tribal officials'' means elected or duly
                appointed officials of Indian tribal governments or
                authorized intertribal organizations.

                Sec. 2. Fundamental Principles. In formulating or
                implementing policies that have tribal implications,
                agencies shall be guided by the following fundamental
                principles:

                    (a) The United States has a unique legal
                relationship with Indian tribal governments as set
                forth in the Constitution of the United States,
                treaties, statutes, Executive Orders, and court
                decisions. Since the formation of the Union, the United
                States has recognized Indian tribes as domestic
                dependent nations under its protection. The Federal
                Government has enacted numerous statutes and
                promulgated numerous regulations that establish and
                define a trust relationship with Indian tribes.
                    (b) Our Nation, under the law of the United States,
                in accordance with treaties, statutes, Executive
                Orders, and judicial decisions, has recognized the
                right of Indian tribes to self-government. As domestic
                dependent nations, Indian tribes exercise inherent
                sovereign powers over their members and territory. The
                United States continues to work with Indian tribes on a
                government-to-government basis to address issues
                concerning Indian tribal self-government, tribal trust
                resources, and Indian tribal treaty and other rights.
                    (c) The United States recognizes the right of
                Indian tribes to self-government and supports tribal
                sovereignty and self-determination.

                Sec. 3. Policymaking Criteria. In addition to adhering
                to the fundamental principles set forth in section 2,
                agencies shall adhere, to the extent permitted by law,
                to the following criteria when formulating and
                implementing policies that have tribal implications:

[[Page 67250]]

                    (a) Agencies shall respect Indian tribal self-
                government and sovereignty, honor tribal treaty and
                other rights, and strive to meet the responsibilities
                that arise from the unique legal relationship between
                the Federal Government and Indian tribal governments.
                    (b) With respect to Federal statutes and
                regulations administered by Indian tribal governments,
                the Federal Government shall grant Indian tribal
                governments the maximum administrative discretion
                possible.
                    (c) When undertaking to formulate and implement
                policies that have tribal implications, agencies shall:
                    (1) encourage Indian tribes to develop their own
                policies to achieve program objectives;
                    (2) where possible, defer to Indian tribes to
                establish standards; and
                    (3) in determining whether to establish Federal
                standards, consult with tribal officials as to the need
                for Federal standards and any alternatives that would
                limit the scope of Federal standards or otherwise
                preserve the prerogatives and authority of Indian
                tribes.

                Sec. 4. Special Requirements for Legislative Proposals.
                Agencies shall not submit to the Congress legislation
                that would be inconsistent with the policymaking
                criteria in Section 3.

                Sec. 5. Consultation. (a) Each agency shall have an
                accountable process to ensure meaningful and timely
                input by tribal officials in the development of
                regulatory policies that have tribal implications.
                Within 30 days after the effective date of this order,
                the head of each agency shall designate an official
                with principal responsibility for the agency's
                implementation of this order. Within 60 days of the
                effective date of this order, the designated official
                shall submit to the Office of Management and Budget
                (OMB) a description of the agency's consultation
                process.

                    (b) To the extent practicable and permitted by law,
                no agency shall promulgate any regulation that has
                tribal implications, that imposes substantial direct
                compliance costs on Indian tribal governments, and that
                is not required by statute, unless:
                    (1) funds necessary to pay the direct costs
                incurred by the Indian tribal government or the tribe
                in complying with the regulation are provided by the
                Federal Government; or
                    (2) the agency, prior to the formal promulgation of
                the regulation,

                 (A) consulted with tribal officials early in the
                process of developing the proposed regulation;

                 (B) in a separately identified portion of the preamble
                to the regulation as it is to be issued in the Federal
                Register, provides to the Director of OMB a tribal
                summary impact statement, which consists of a
                description of the extent of the agency's prior
                consultation with tribal officials, a summary of the
                nature of their concerns and the agency's position
                supporting the need to issue the regulation, and a
                statement of the extent to which the concerns of tribal
                officials have been met; and

                 (C) makes available to the Director of OMB any written
                communications submitted to the agency by tribal
                officials.

                    (c) To the extent practicable and permitted by law,
                no agency shall promulgate any regulation that has
                tribal implications and that preempts tribal law unless
                the agency, prior to the formal promulgation of the
                regulation,
                    (1) consulted with tribal officials early in the
                process of developing the proposed regulation;
                    (2) in a separately identified portion of the
                preamble to the regulation as it is to be issued in the
                Federal Register, provides to the Director of OMB a
                tribal summary impact statement, which consists of a
                description of the extent of the agency's prior
                consultation with tribal officials, a summary of the
                nature of their concerns and the agency's position
                supporting the

[[Page 67251]]

                need to issue the regulation, and a statement of the
                extent to which the concerns of tribal officials have
                been met; and
                    (3) makes available to the Director of OMB any
                written communications submitted to the agency by
                tribal officials.
                    (d) On issues relating to tribal self-government,
                tribal trust resources, or Indian tribal treaty and
                other rights, each agency should explore and, where
                appropriate, use consensual mechanisms for developing
                regulations, including negotiated rulemaking.

                Sec. 6. Increasing Flexibility for Indian Tribal
                Waivers.

                    (a) Agencies shall review the processes under which
                Indian tribes apply for waivers of statutory and
                regulatory requirements and take appropriate steps to
                streamline those processes.
                    (b) Each agency shall, to the extent practicable
                and permitted by law, consider any application by an
                Indian tribe for a waiver of statutory or regulatory
                requirements in connection with any program
                administered by the agency with a general view toward
                increasing opportunities for utilizing flexible policy
                approaches at the Indian tribal level in cases in which
                the proposed waiver is consistent with the applicable
                Federal policy objectives and is otherwise appropriate.
                    (c) Each agency shall, to the extent practicable
                and permitted by law, render a decision upon a complete
                application for a waiver within 120 days of receipt of
                such application by the agency, or as otherwise
                provided by law or regulation. If the application for
                waiver is not granted, the agency shall provide the
                applicant with timely written notice of the decision
                and the reasons therefor.
                    (d) This section applies only to statutory or
                regulatory requirements that are discretionary and
                subject to waiver by the agency.

                Sec. 7. Accountability.

                    (a) In transmitting any draft final regulation that
                has tribal implications to OMB pursuant to Executive
                Order 12866 of September 30, 1993, each agency shall
                include a certification from the official designated to
                ensure compliance with this order stating that the
                requirements of this order have been met in a
                meaningful and timely manner.
                    (b) In transmitting proposed legislation that has
                tribal implications to OMB, each agency shall include a
                certification from the official designated to ensure
                compliance with this order that all relevant
                requirements of this order have been met.
                    (c) Within 180 days after the effective date of
                this order the Director of OMB and the Assistant to the
                President for Intergovernmental Affairs shall confer
                with tribal officials to ensure that this order is
                being properly and effectively implemented.

                Sec. 8. Independent Agencies. Independent regulatory
                agencies are encouraged to comply with the provisions
                of this order.

                Sec. 9. General Provisions. (a) This order shall
                supplement but not supersede the requirements contained
                in Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory Planning and
                Review), Executive Order 12988 (Civil Justice Reform),
                OMB Circular A-19, and the Executive Memorandum of
                April 29, 1994, on Government-to-Government Relations
                with Native American Tribal Governments.

                    (b) This order shall complement the consultation
                and waiver provisions in sections 6 and 7 of Executive
                Order 13132 (Federalism).
                    (c) Executive Order 13084 (Consultation and
                Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments) is revoked
                at the time this order takes effect.
                    (d) This order shall be effective 60 days after the
                date of this order.

[[Page 67252]]

                Sec. 10. Judicial Review. This order is intended only
                to improve the internal management of the executive
                branch, and is not intended to create any right,
                benefit, or trust responsibility, substantive or
                procedural, enforceable at law by a party against the
                United States, its agencies, or any person.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                     November 6, 2000.

[FR Doc. 00-29003
Filed 11-8-00; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P


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