BY STAFF REPORTS

WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Donald Laverdure announced on Aug. 10 that the proposed rule implementing the Buy Indian Act has been published in the Federal Register. 

The act provides the Bureau of Indian Affairs with the authority to set aside procurement contracts for qualified Indian-owned businesses. This proposed rule describes uniform administrative procedures that Indian Affairs will use in all of its locations to encourage procurement of goods and services from eligible Indian economic enterprises, as authorized by the Buy Indian Act.

“We are working hard to bring to fruition the collaborative efforts of many to put these rules into action,” Laverdure said. “There have been several prior proposed rules and consultations but never a final rule. We are committed to finalizing this rule as well as upholding our nation-to- nation relationship in going about this very important task.”

The BIA has obtained services and supplies from Indian sources using the Buy Indian Program since 1965, based on policy memoranda. This rule is proposed to describe uniform administrative procedures that the BIA will use in all of its locations to encourage procurement relationships with eligible Indian-owned businesses in the execution of the Buy Indian Act.

This proposal incorporates the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs decision to increase economic development and employment of Indian persons by reducing the percentage of Indian ownership of business enterprises from a mandatory 100 percent to minimum 51 percent.

The proposed rule also includes revisions to address the input received as a result of earlier publications and three consultation hearings in Indian Country.

“We invite tribal leaders and representatives to attend these very important consultations,” Laverdure said. “Tribal leaders have worked diligently with Interior in the past on these issues and the intended outcomes are to further enhance tribes’ abilities to better develop economic prosperity in Indian Country.”