On March 29, President Biden released his budget proposal for FY 2023. According to the White House, the proposed funding for Tribal programs and services reflects direct consultations with Tribal Nations. Significant agency funding in the proposal for tribes include:
$9.1 Billion for Tribal Healthcare Services – Indian Healthcare Service funding would increase by $2.5 billion from FY2022. The most notable part of the President’s tribal healthcare budget is his proposal to make healthcare funding mandatory as opposed to discretionary.
$4.5 Billion for Tribal Programs – Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) funding would increase by $840 million from FY2022. Some funding would also become “mandatory,” including $409 million for contract support costs and $55.4 million in payments for tribal leases. Also, the budget includes $44.7 million to expand the Tiwahe Initiative, a pilot program providing a Tribally driven approach to delivering more effective and efficient social services. The BIA offers further details in its Budget in Brief, available here.
$1 Billion for Indian Housing – Housing and Urban Development’s Native American Program funding would decrease by $28 million from FY2022. $772 million would go toward the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Indian Housing Block Grant. $150 million would go toward Community Development Block Grants.
$680 Million for Department of Agriculture Programs – The budget includes $62 Million for tribal agriculture research, education, and extension grants to tribal institutions, $7 million for tribal producers through the Inter-Tribal Assistance Network, $11 million through the Tribal Forest Protection Act, and $600 million for expanded tribal broadband assistance through the ReConnect program.