Media Contact: Nedra Darling, OPA-IA Phone: 202-219-4152
For Immediate Release: August 13, 2012

Albuquerque, N.M. — The first consultation on the Buy Indian Act will begin Tuesday, August 14, 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.

WHEN:

Tuesday, August 14, 2012 8:00am – 12:00pm (local time)

WHERE:

National Indian Programs Training Center 1011 Indian School Road, NW, Suite 254 Albuquerque, NM 87104 (505) 563-5400

CREDENTIALS: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials.

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