170.231—May a tribe challenge the data BIA uses in the RNDF?
(a)
A tribe may submit a request to the BIA Regional Director to revise the data for the tribe that BIA uses in the RNDF. The request must include the tribe's data and written support for its contention that the tribal data is more accurate than BIA's.
(b)
A tribe may submit a data correction request at any time. In order to impact the distribution in a given fiscal year, a data correction request must be approved, or any subsequent appeals resolved, by June 1 of the prior fiscal year.
(c)
The BIA Regional Director must respond within 30 days of receiving a data correction request under this section.
(1)
Unless the BIA Regional Director determines that the existing BIA data is more accurate, the BIA Regional Director must approve the tribe's data correction request and accept the tribe's corrected data.
(2)
If the BIA Regional Director disapproves the tribe's request, the decision must include a detailed written explanation of the reasons for the disapproval, copies of any supporting documentation (other than the tribe's request) that the BIA Regional Director relied upon in reaching the decision, and notice of the tribe's right to appeal the decision.
(3)
If the BIA Regional Director does not approve the tribe's request within 30 days of receiving the request, the request must be deemed disapproved.