Today, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held a hearing on four bills that would improve the Indian Healthcare Service (IHS) and return lands held in trust back to Alaska Native village corporations. Subcommittee Chair Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) issued the following statement in response:

"Improving IHS and being a champion for improving the tribal health system for all tribes has long been a goal of mine. Last July the Subcommittee held a hearing on Congressman Johnson’s Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service Act in draft form. After much discussion, this subcommittee and Congressman Dusty Johnson decided to take three key elements from the larger bill and introduce them as individual bills that we think get at specific issues we can improve now. Today’s hearing was result of this effort. The IIA subcommittee has also made a concerted effort to ensure that tribes have the ability to use their lands for economic development without unnecessary federal restrictions. The Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2023 returns land that has remained in limbo for many years so that it can be used to generate revenue for Alaskan Natives."

Background

H.R. 8492, the Improving Tribal Cultural Training for Providers Act of 2024, introduced by U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), amends the current culture and history program to require an annual training for specific IHS employees on the history and culture of the Indian tribes they are serving.

H.R. 8955, the IHS Provider Integrity Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), requires the IHS to solicit the history of any applicant from the medical board of each state where the applicant is licensed. To ensure compliance, the IHS would also be required to submit a report to Congress regarding the legislation’s implementation no later than 180 days after enactment.

H.R. 8956, the Uniform Credentials for IHS Providers Act of 2024, introduced by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), requires the IHS to create a centralized credentialing system for health care providers at IHS facilities. A centralized system will ensure employees have the proper credentials and licenses required to provide the best health care services to American Indian and Alaska Native patients.

H.R. 6489, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2023, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), returns lands currently held in trust by the state of Alaska back to Alaska Native village corporations.