The Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs to Hold Consultations on the Proposed Rule to Implement the Buy Indian Act

Billings, MT - The second consultation on the Buy Indian Act will be held Wednesday, August 15, 2012. The Buy Indian Act provides Indian Affairs with the authority to set-aside procurement contracts for qualified Indian-owned businesses. This proposed rule describes uniform administrative procedures that Indian Affairs will use in all of its locations to encourage procurement of goods and services from eligible Indian economic enterprises, as authorized by the Buy Indian Act.

This rule has been in development for decades. The Bureau proposed this rule in the Federal Register on several prior occasions, but never succeeded in publishing a final rule. In 2010, Indian Affairs distributed a new draft of the rule and held three consultation sessions in preparation for the updated proposed rule.

The current proposed rule incorporates much of the previous consultations. Indian Affairs is committed to finalizing the rule by the end of the calendar year and is seeking written comments on this proposed rule to consultation@bia.gov by September 17, 2012, and/or hopes tribal representatives can attend one of the consultation sessions.

For more information contact: Jonodev Chaudhuri, Office of the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs, (202) 208–7163; jonodev.chaudhuri@bia.gov; or David Brown, Office of Acquisitions—Indian Affairs, (703) 390–6605, David.Brown@bia.gov.

WHO: Dion Killsback, Counselor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, DOI

Regina Gilbert, Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action, DOI

Tribal Leaders from the Southwest Region and other regions

WHAT: Buy Indian Rule Consultations.

-Continued-

Page 2 – Buy Indian Act Consultation

WHEN: Wednesday, August 15, 2012

8:00am – 12:00pm (local time)

WHERE: Holiday Inn Grand

5500 Midland Road

Billings, MT 59101

(406) 248-7701