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FEDERAL BUDGET HOME Investment Partnership Program. Of the $1.65 billion requested for FY 20001 for this program, $24 million is to be set aside for Housing Counseling Assistance programs. Of that amount, 5 percent, or $1.2 million, is set side for housing counseling assistance for Native Americans. Labor, HHS, and Education Labor Employment and Training. The only specific Indian funding in Labor is a Native American program under the Employment and Training Administration. The President’s FY 2001 budget is requesting $55 million for grants to Indian tribes and other Native American groups to provide training, work experience, and other employment-related services. This compares with $58 million made available in FY 2000 and is a reduction of 5 percent. Health & Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration. The Hawaiian Native Health Care Act programs are funded under this heading. After the Supreme Court decision in the Rice v. Cayetano case, special programs for Hawaiian Natives may be in some legal jeopardy. Administration for Children and Families. Under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, $7 million, the same as appropriated last year, is being requested for tribal work programs. Under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Indian tribes are eligible for grants to aid low-income people with high energy costs. The FY 2001 budget is requesting a total of $1.4 billion for the overall program. A major program under the Children and Families Services Programs is the Head Start program. For FY 2001, the President’s budget requests $6.267 billion for Head Start as compared with a total of $5.267 billion for FY 2000. While there is no set-aside for Indian tribes, Indian Head Start programs are a vital part of the Head Start program. Funding also is made available under the Children and Families Services Programs for the Administration for Native Americans under the Native American Programs Act of 1974. The President’s FY 2001 request for ANA is $44 million. This is an increase of $9 million over the FY 2000 appropriation. Administration on Aging. The President’s budget request for AOA for FY 2001 is $1.083 billion as compared with the FY 2000 appropriation of $934,285,000, which is an increase of $148,715,000 or 16 percent. Indian tribes are eligible applicants for funding under this program. The budget request states: "That in considering grant applications for nutrition services for elderly Indian recipients, the assistant secretary shall provide maximum flexibility to applicants who seek to take into account subsistence, local customs, and other characteristics that are appropriate to the unique cultural, regional, and geographic needs of the American Indians, Alaska and Hawaiian Native communities to be served. ” Education grants to tribally controlled post-secondary institutions. This is the same amount made available in FY 2000. Higher Education. Under the heading “Aid for Institutional Development,” the President’s FY 2001 budget requests $9 million for strengthening tribal colleges as compared with the FY 2000 appropriation of $6 million. In addition, it includes $5 million for strengthening Alaska and Native Hawaiian institutions, the same as last year. Transportation The Department of Transportation FY 2001 budget requests set out the allocation of funding from the Highway Trust Fund as provided in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The Indian Reservation Road (IRR) program, part of the Federal Lands Highways program, is funded from this allocation. For FY 2001, the President’s request is for an IRR allocation of $275 million. Of this amount, $75, million is added as a part of the Revenue Aligned Budget Authority. In addition, the budget request would earmark $1.2 million for training on reservations or training that would benefit Native Americans. Impact Aid. The Impact Aid program authorization has expired and is being considered for reauthorization under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization legislation. Last year, Impact Aid was funded at $910,500,000. The President’s FY 2001 request, as a part of the ESEA reauthorization, is $768 million. School Improvement Programs. The President’s budget request for this program is based upon the administration’s proposal for ESEA reauthorization. Under the administration’s new proposal, Education for Native Hawaiians and Alaska Native Veterans Education Equity funding would be at $23 Native American Veteran Housing million and $13 million respectively. Again, Loan Program. The FY 2001 budget however, the Cayetano decision could requests $532,000 for the administrative have implications for the Hawaiian expense for this program, which can be Native program. Indian Education. As a part of its transferred to the “general operating expenses” account of the department. The proposed ESEA reauthorization, the budget request notes that: President’s budget request for FY 2001 for "The Native American Veterans the Indian education programs under Title Housing Loan Program provides direct IX, part A of ESEA is $116 million. This is loans to veterans living on trust lands under an increase of $39 million over the FY 2000 38 U.S.C. chapter37, section 3761. These appropriation of $77 million. If the funding loans are available to purchase, construct, request survives congressional action, this or improve homes to be occupied as the would mean that $93 million would be veteran’s residence. The principal amount available for grants to local educational of a loan under this authority is generally agencies, $20 million would be available for limited to $80,000, except in areas where special programs for Indian children, and $3 million would be available for housing costs are significantly higher than the average costs nationwide. This is a pilot national activities. program that began in 1993 and is School Renovation Program authorized through Dec. 31,2000. ’’ Account. Under this new administration initiative, for which the budget requests $1.3 billion, $50 million would be made available Environmental Protection to local Indian education agencies for school Agency renovation. Public schools in which 50 State and Tribal Assistance percent or more of the students reside on Grants. The President’s FY 2001 request Indian land would be eligible for these grants for this broad program is $2,906,957,000, a or loans. significant reduction from the FY 2000 Vocational and Adult Education. appropriation of $3,466,650.000. Indian Under Vocational Education, the President’s FY 2001 request seeks $5 million for (See Federal on page 26) 25
