Tiwahe Initiative

(a) Purposes The purposes of this section are— (1) to strengthen Tribal families and communities; (2) to reduce the need for out-of-home placements of Indian children; (3) to improve coordination among programs and agencies serving Indian families; (4) to promote Tribal self-determination in the design and delivery of family-centered services; and (5) to expand the availability of the Tiwahe model to Indian Tribes beyond the pilot sites. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Council The term Council means the Tiwahe Tribal Advisory Council established under subsection (g)(1). (2) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means— (A) an Indian Tribe; and (B) a Tribal organization. (3) Pilot site The term pilot site means the 10 Tribal sites chosen as participants in the Tiwahe Demonstration Project carried out by the Bureau of Indian Affairs before the date of enactment of this Act, including— (A) the Association of Village Council Presidents (comprised of 56 federally recognized Alaska Native Tribes located in 48 villages); (B) the Fort Belknap Indian Community of the Fort Belknap Reservation of Montana; (C) the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona; (D) the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota; (E) the Spirit Lake Tribe, North Dakota; (F) the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe; (G) the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation; (H) the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; (I) the Oglala Sioux Tribe; and (J) the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. (4) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. (5) Self-determination contract The term self-determination contract has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). (6) Self-governance compact The term self-governance compact has the meaning given the term compact in section 401 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5361). (7) Tiwahe Initiative The term Tiwahe Initiative means the Tiwahe Initiative established under subsection (c)(1). (c) Establishment (1) In general Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish and carry out an initiative, to be known as the Tiwahe Initiative, to support and promote a family-centered delivery model for integrated community services to improve outcomes for Native children, families, and communities. (2) Leadership role of pilot sites The pilot sites shall serve as permanent partners of the Secretary in the implementation, evaluation, and continued development of the Tiwahe Initiative. (d) Eligibility requirements for eligible entities (1) In general The Secretary shall establish a process under which an eligible entity may apply to participate in the Tiwahe Initiative. (2) Strategic plan As part of the process established under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall require, at a minimum, the submission of a strategic plan to accomplish the following goals: (A) Placing families at the center of all services, seeking their voice and aspirations and responding to those aspirations to achieve their potential. (B) Building relationships of trust with families to move those families beyond crisis intervention and help those families achieve medium-term and long-term goals and outcomes. (C) Establishing a whole-of-Government response to effectively meet the needs of families, enabling those families to become self-governing and thriving contributors in their communities. (D) Building Tribal capacity and commitment to deliver on the governing principles of Tiwahe. (e) DOI Programs Supporting Tiwahe At a minimum, in carrying out the Tiwahe Initiative, the Secretary shall use the existing programs of the Department of the Interior that support the pilot sites. (f) Interdepartmental expansion pilot program (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Energy, shall consult with the Council— (A) to identify additional Federal agencies, programs, and funding streams that may be used to further the purposes of the Tiwahe Initiative; and (B) to develop recommendations for a pilot program to coordinate and align Federal resources across Federal agencies to support the objectives of the Tiwahe Initiative to eligible entities participating in the Tiwahe Initiative. (2) Memorandum of understanding (A) In general On completion of the consultation and recommendations required under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with such Federal agencies as the Secretary determines appropriate to carry out a pilot program, to be known as the Tiwahe Initiative Intergovernmental pilot program (referred to in this subsection as the pilot program). (B) Requirements The memorandum of understanding entered into under subparagraph (A) shall establish a framework for interagency coordination, information sharing, technical assistance, and the coordinated delivery of Federal services and resources to eligible entities participating in the Tiwahe Initiative. (3) Authorization The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program for a period of 5 years in accordance with the memorandum of understanding entered into under paragraph (2)(A). (4) Interim report Not later than 3 years after the date on which the pilot program is established under paragraph (2)(A), the Secretary, in consultation with the Council and the Federal agencies participating in the memorandum of understanding entered into under that paragraph, shall submit to Congress a report describing— (A) the activities carried out under the pilot program; (B) the extent to which the pilot program has advanced the purposes of the Tiwahe Initiative; (C) outcomes and lessons learned from interagency coordination; and (D) recommendations relating to whether the pilot program should be continued, expanded, modified, or made permanent. (5) Recommendation on continuation Not later than 180 days before the date on which the pilot program concludes, the Secretary, the Council, and the Federal agencies participating in the memorandum of understanding entered into under paragraph (2)(A) shall— (A) jointly evaluate the pilot program; and (B) submit to Congress a recommendation relating to the continuation, expansion, modification, or permanent authorization of the pilot program. (g) Tiwahe Tribal Advisory Council (1) Establishment Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a Tiwahe Tribal Advisory Council. (2) Membership The Council shall be composed of 15 members, to be appointed in accordance with the following: (A) 5 shall be appointed by the Secretary, of which— (i) 1 shall be a Native youth; (ii) 1 shall be from a national organization supporting the Tiwahe Initiative; and (iii) 3 shall be members of an Indian Tribe. (B) 10 shall be appointed by each of the pilot sites. (3) Duties The Council shall— (A) advise the Secretary on the implementation, coordination, and administration of the Tiwahe Initiative; (B) provide recommendations to the Secretary to improve the delivery of Federal programs and services that support Tribal families, children, and communities; (C) identify barriers to interagency coordination and recommend strategies to improve collaboration among Federal agencies and eligible entities participating in the Tiwahe Initiative; (D) assist the Secretary in identifying existing Federal programs, funding opportunities, and resources that may be integrated into the Tiwahe Initiative to advance the purposes of the Tiwahe Initiative; (E) provide recommendations to the Secretary with respect to the selection, design, implementation, and evaluation of any Tiwahe Initiative pilot program; (F) consult with Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal service providers with respect to the effectiveness of programs and services provided under the Tiwahe Initiative; (G) review and provide recommendations to the Secretary with respect to the memorandum of understanding entered into under subsection (f)(2) to promote coordinated Federal service delivery; (H) establish performance measures and recommend outcome-based metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the Tiwahe Initiative and any pilot program carried out under this section; (I) identify best practices and successful Tribal approaches that may be replicated or expanded through the Tiwahe Initiative; and (J) submit to the Secretary and Congress such recommendations as the Council determines appropriate to advance the purposes of the Tiwahe Initiative. (4) Term limits A member of the Council shall serve for such number of terms as the Council may prescribe by the bylaws adopted by the Council at the time of establishment of the Council, subject to the condition that a member of the Council may not serve more than 2 consecutive terms. (5) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Council to carry out the responsibilities of the Council under this section $200,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032. (h) Administration of funds The Secretary shall administer funds supporting the Tiwahe Initiative through grants, self-determination contracts, self-governance compacts, or other agreements. (i) Savings provision Nothing in this section diminishes or otherwise affects— (1) the sovereign rights of an Indian Tribe; (2) any treaty or other right of an Indian Tribe; or (3) the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.). (j) Treatment of pilot sites Any pilot site receiving funding or participating in a Tiwahe Initiative demonstration, pilot project, or related activity on the date of enactment of this Act shall— (1) remain eligible to participate in the Tiwahe Initiative; and (2) continue to receive funding at not less than the level provided during the fiscal year preceding the date of enactment of this Act, subject to the availability of appropriations. (k) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section (other than subsection (g)) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter.