By Donald Walton, Associate Attorney
On October 7, 2022, the Department of the Interior and other federal departments announced a new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to implement the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Consolidation Act of 2017. Under the law, also known as the 477 Program, tribes can submit a consolidated plan to combine funding from different federal agencies for workforce training, development, and economic development. Interior then administers the funds with a single reporting requirement.
The new MOA comes after years of advocacy by tribes seeking more efficient communications, feedback, and assistance with 477 plans. The new MOA is much more streamlined and provides information for direct submissions of 477 plans and waivers for Tribes, including a dedicated email and specific mailing address:
477PlanSubmission@bia.gov
477 Plan Submission
1849 C Street NW – 3645 MIB
U.S. Department of the Interior – Bureau of Indian Affairs
Office of Indian Services – Division of Workforce Development
Washington, D.C. 20240
The new MOA can be found here.