2021- TSGAC Letter: Establishment of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Tribal Advisory Committee

To fulfill the VA Tribal Consultation Policy, Executive Order 13175, and the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation, the TSGAC offers the following recommendations:

• Prior to the establishment of the VA-TAC, we request that VA conduct consultation with Tribes regarding the VA-TAC charter, priorities, organizational structure, duties and process, including confirmation that the VA-TAC is exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

• In addition to membership from the twelve IHS service areas, we request that the TSGAC be provided an opportunity to appoint a delegate from our Committee to the VA-TAC in order to specifically advise the VA on evolving issues of relevance to Self-Governance Tribes, similar to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Tribal Technical Advisory Group (TTAG).

• VA should ensure training and education for VA personnel about the Tribal consultation processes and government-to-government relationship.

• In consultation with the VA-TAC, VA should develop a Strategic Plan to address opportunities and challenges of implementing legislation