This consultation will be held in-person and virtually on:
Wednesday, January 24, 2024, from 1 pm – 5 pm ET
Capital Hilton
1001 16th Street NW
Washington, DC, 20036

Please contact TEYA Support Services, LLC, to register for the Tribal Consultation at:
laura.stevenson@teyacompany.com or melissa.szasz@teyacompany.com. They respectfully request that each Tribal government register one primary leader or designee to provide comments. All others are welcome to register as listen-only participants.

ACL will send out an agenda and list of registered speakers before the consultation.

WRITTEN COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: If you wish to send written comments, please submit them by February 23, 2024 to: olderindians@acl.hhs.gov.

ACL looks forward to your feedback. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Edwin Walker at 202-795-7463, edwin.walker@acl.hhs.gov, or Cynthia LaCounte at 406-780-0349, cynthia.lacounte@acl.hhs.gov.

Background
The United States has a unique trust & treaty relationship with Tribal Nations. In recognition of this unique legal relationship, and to strengthen the government-to-government relationship, Executive Order 13175 of November 6, 2000 (Consultation & Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments), charges all executive departments and agencies with engaging in regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with Tribal officials in the development of Federal policies that have Tribal implications and sets forth fundamental principles and policymaking criteria.

On November 30, 2022, President Biden signed the Presidential Memorandum on Uniform Standards for Tribal Consultation which establishes uniform minimum standards to be implemented across all agencies regarding how Tribal consultations are to be conducted. Further, on January 26, 2021, he issued Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships. These Presidential Memoranda are designed to improve and streamline the consultation process for both Tribes and Federal participants, and ensure more consistency in how agencies initiate, provide notice for, conduct, record, and report on Tribal consultations.

ACL was created around the fundamental principle that older adults and people of all ages with disabilities should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and with the ability to participate fully in their communities. On November 27, 2023, ACL announced our draft Tribal Consultation Policy and distributed it to Tribal Nations in attendance at the HHS Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Council (STAC) meeting. ACL plans to hold a Tribal Consultation on the draft policy to receive Tribal leader feedback and recommendations of what to incorporate in the final policy.

Specifically, they hope to receive your feedback on these topics:
1. Processes involving evaluating, noticing, & conducting a Tribal consultation;
2. Processes involving Tribal official requests to initiate consultation, consultation records, and training;
3. Processes involving listening sessions & Tribal engagement;
4. Preferences on whether ACL should continue to hold consultations virtually to increase tribal access or limit to in-person attendance; and
5. Any other questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the ACL Tribal Consultation Policy.