§ 450k. Rules and regulations
(a)
Authority of Secretaries of the Interior and of Health and Human Services to promulgate; time restriction
(1)
Except as may be specifically authorized in this subsection, or in any other provision of this subchapter, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services may not promulgate any regulation, nor impose any nonregulatory requirement, relating to self-determination contracts or the approval, award, or declination of such contracts, except that the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services may promulgate regulations under this subchapter relating to chapter
171 of title
28, commonly known as the “Federal Tort Claims Act”, the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (41 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), declination and waiver procedures, appeal procedures, reassumption procedures, discretionary grant procedures for grants awarded under section
450h of this title, property donation procedures arising under section
450j
(f) of this title, internal agency procedures relating to the implementation of this subchapter, retrocession and tribal organization relinquishment procedures, contract proposal contents, conflicts of interest, construction, programmatic reports and data requirements, procurement standards, property management standards, and financial management standards.
(b)
Conflicting laws and regulations
The provisions of this subchapter shall supersede any conflicting provisions of law (including any conflicting regulations) in effect on the day before October 25, 1994, and the Secretary is authorized to repeal any regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this subchapter.
(c)
Revisions and amendments; procedures applicable
The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services are authorized, with the participation of Indian tribes and tribal organizations, to revise and amend any rules or regulations promulgated pursuant to this section: Provided, That prior to any revision or amendment to such rules or regulations, the respective Secretary or Secretaries shall present the proposed revision or amendment to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and shall, to the extent practicable, consult with appropriate national or regional Indian organizations and shall publish any proposed revisions in the Federal Register not less than sixty days prior to the effective date of such rules and regulations in order to provide adequate notice to, and receive comments from, other interested parties.
(d)
Consultation in drafting and promulgating; negotiation process; interagency committees; extension of deadlines
(1)
In drafting and promulgating regulations as provided in subsection (a) of this section (including drafting and promulgating any revised regulations), the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall confer with, and allow for active participation by, representatives of Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and individual tribal members.
(2)
(A)
In carrying out rulemaking processes under this subchapter, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall follow the guidance of—
(i)
subchapter
III of chapter
5 of title
5, commonly known as the “Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1990”; and
(ii)
the recommendations of the Administrative Conference of the United States numbered 82–4 and 85–5 entitled “Procedures for Negotiating Proposed Regulations” under sections
305.82–4 and 305.85–5 of title 1, Code of Federal Regulations, and any successor recommendation or law (including any successor regulation).
(B)
The tribal participants in the negotiation process referred to in subparagraph (A) shall be nominated by and shall represent the groups described in this paragraph and shall include tribal representatives from all geographic regions.
(C)
The negotiations referred to in subparagraph (B) shall be conducted in a timely manner. Proposed regulations to implement the amendments made by the Indian Self-Determination Contract Reform Act of 1994 shall be published in the Federal Register by the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services not later than 180 days after October 25, 1994.
(D)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law (including any regulation), the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health and Human Services are authorized to jointly establish and fund such interagency committees or other interagency bodies, including advisory bodies comprised of tribal representatives, as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of this subchapter.
(e)
Exceptions in or waiver of regulations
The Secretary may, with respect to a contract entered into under this subchapter, make exceptions in the regulations promulgated to carry out this subchapter, or waive such regulations, if the Secretary finds that such exception or waiver is in the best interest of the Indians served by the contract or is consistent with the policies of this subchapter, and is not contrary to statutory law. In reviewing each request, the Secretary shall follow the timeline, findings, assistance, hearing, and appeal procedures set forth in section
450f of this title.