This subpart explains how and under what circumstances the Secretary may decline a proposal to contract, to amend an existing contract, to renew an existing contract, to redesign a program, or to waive any provisions of these regulations. For annual funding agreements, see § 900.32.

As explained in §§ 900.16 and 900.17, a proposal can only be declined within 90 days after the Secretary receives the proposal, unless that period is extended with the voluntary and express written consent of the Indian tribe or tribal organization.

The Secretary may only decline to approve a proposal for one of five specific reasons:

(a) The service to be rendered to the Indian beneficiaries of the particular program or function to be contracted will not be satisfactory;

(b) Adequate protection of trust resources is not assured;

(c) The proposed project or function to be contracted for cannot be properly completed or maintained by the proposed contract;

(d) The amount of funds proposed under the contract is in excess of the applicable funding level for the contract, as determined under section 106(a) of the Act; or

(e) The program, function, service, or activity (or a portion thereof) that is the subject of the proposal is beyond the scope of programs, functions, services, or activities covered under section 102(a)(1) of the Act because the proposal includes activities that cannot lawfully be carried out by the contractor.

No. The Secretary may not decline to enter into a contract with an Indian tribe or tribal organization based on any objection that will be overcome through the contract.

No. The Secretary may only decline a proposal based upon one or more of the five reasons listed above. If a contract affects the preexisting level of services to any other tribe, the Secretary shall address that effect in the Secretary's annual report to Congress under section 106(c)(6) of the Act.

The Secretary must approve any severable portion of a proposal that does not support a declination finding described in § 900.20, subject to any alteration in the scope of the proposal that the Secretary and the Indian tribe or tribal organization approve.

In those situations the Secretary is required, as appropriate, to approve the portion of the program, function, service, or activity that is authorized under section 102(a) of the Act, or approve a level of funding that is authorized under section 106(a) of the Act. As noted in § 900.25, the approval is subject to any alteration in the scope of the proposal that the Secretary and the Indian tribe or tribal organization approve.

No, but the hearing and appeal procedures contained in these regulations only apply to the portion of the proposal that was declined.

Yes. In accordance with section 103(d) of the Act, upon receiving a proposal, the Secretary shall provide any necessary requested technical assistance to an Indian tribe or tribal organization, and shall share all relevant information with the Indian tribe or tribal organization, in order to avoid declination of the proposal.

If the Secretary decides to decline all or a severable portion of a proposal, the Secretary is required:

(a) To advise the Indian tribe or tribal organization in writing of the Secretary's objections, including a specific finding that clearly demonstrates that (or that is supported by a controlling legal authority that) one of the conditions set forth in § 900.22 exists, together with a detailed explanation of the reason for the decision to decline the proposal and, within 20 days, any documents relied on in making the decision; and

(b) To advise the Indian tribe or tribal organization in writing of the rights described in § 900.31.

Yes. The Secretary shall provide additional technical assistance to overcome the stated objections, in accordance with section 102(b) of the Act, and shall provide any necessary requested technical assistance to develop any modifications to overcome the Secretary's stated objections.

Yes. The Indian tribe or tribal organization is entitled to an appeal on the objections raised by the Secretary, with an agency hearing on the record, and the right to engage in full discovery relevant to any issue raised in the matter. The procedures for appeals are in subpart L of these regulations. Alternatively, at its option the Indian tribe or tribal organization has the right to sue in Federal district court to challenge the Secretary's decision.

No. If it is substantially the same as the prior annual funding agreement (except for funding increases included in appropriations acts or funding reductions as provided in section 106(b) of the Act) and the contract is with DHHS or the BIA, the Secretary shall approve and add to the contract the full amount of funds to which the contractor is entitled, and may not decline, any portion of a successor annual funding agreement. Any portion of an annual funding agreement proposal which is not substantially the same as that which was funded previously (e.g., a redesign proposal; waiver proposal; different proposed funding amount; or different program, service, function, or activity), or any annual funding agreement proposal which pertains to a contract with an agency of DOI other than the BIA, is subject to the declination criteria and procedures in subpart E. If there is a disagreement over the availability of appropriations, the Secretary may decline the proposal in part under the procedure in subpart E.

Department of Health and Human Services and the Bureau of Indian Affairs will not review the renewal of a term contract for declination issues where no material and substantial change to the scope or funding of a program, functions, services, or activities has been proposed by the Indian tribe or tribal organization. Proposals to renew term contracts with DOI agencies other than the Bureau of Indian Affairs may be reviewed under the declination criteria.