A bipartisan bill to fund the Bureau of Indian Affairs , the Bureau of Indian Education and the Indian Health Service in advance is up for first hearing in the 116th Congress this month.

By authorizing funding ahead of time, H.R.1128, the Indian Programs Advanced Appropriations Act, offers more stability for tribes who depend on programs, grants and services managed and overseen by the three agencies. It also protects Indian Country from the impacts of future government shutdowns.

“During the government shutdown, basic everyday needs like health clinics, tribal justice services, and social services for children, families, and seniors went unfunded, putting Native American communities at risk,” Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minnesota), the sponsor of H.R.1128, said after introducing the bill during the record-breaking funding impasse earlier this year.

“These programs are critical to life, health, and safety in these communities, and the federal government has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure funding for our trust and treaty responsibilities is not interrupted," added McCollum, who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies , the legislative panel that writes the funding bill for the BIA, the BIE and the IHS.

"Advance appropriations for Indian Country is a promising avenue for making good on our commitments to our Native American brothers and sisters," McCollum said of the bill, which boasts a broad range of Democratic and Republican co-sponsors

McCollum's subcommittee is scheduled to take testimony on the bill on Wednesday, September 25. Representatives of the Trump administration are expected to serve as witnesses.

According to the bill, advance appropriations would cover the operational accounts at the BIA, including contract support costs and the Indian Guaranteed Loan Program. It also includes contract support costs and all other programs at the IHS.

It was an honor to join @NCAI Pres. Keel and tribal leaders for #TUID19 and discuss nonpartisan efforts in Congress to secure stable funding for Native American health care, public safety, and education – our fundamental trust responsibilities to Indian Country. pic.twitter.com/bjP0006eTq — Rep. Betty McCollum (@BettyMcCollum04) September 10, 2019

.@BettyMcCollum04 discussed the need for budget certainty, a clean Carcieri fix, and the federal government's nation-to-nation responsibility of conducting meaningful tribal consultation #TUID19 pic.twitter.com/0bLW95tkEt — NCAI (@NCAI1944) September 10, 2019

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