[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 95 (Wednesday, May 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 24505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12142]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Office of Trust Funds Management National Tribal Consultation

AGENCY: Office of Trust Funds Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Tribal Consultation Meeting--Financial Trust Services 
Improvement.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of the Special Trustee 
(OST), Office of Trust Funds Management (OTFM), will conduct four (4) 
consultation meetings with any Indian tribe, band, nation, Individual 
Account holders or other organized group or community, including any 
Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in 
or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 
Stat.688), which is recognized as eligible for the trust programs and 
services provided by the United States to Indians because of their 
status as Indians.
    The purpose is to obtain oral and written comments regarding a 
number of options to improve Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounting 
and customer service with approximately 300,000 nationwide account 
holders. The options were developed by a Tribal/Federal Work Group 
which was established to assist OTFM in developing a number of 
recommendations to resolve technical and customer service problems. A 
number of General Accounting Office (GAO), Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), and Department of Interior (DOI) audits of the IIM 
function have concluded that internal controls are inadequate for 
controlling receipts and disbursements for this function.

DATES (1996): Four (4) consultation sessions will be conducted:

June 25-27, Tulsa, OK, Adam's Mark Hotel, 100 East 2nd Street, 
Tulsa, OK 74103, 918-582-9000.
July 9-11, Phoenix, AZ, The Pointe at Squaw Peak, 7677 North 16th 
Street, Phoenix, AZ 85020, 602-997-2626.
July 30-August 1, Portland, OR, Red Lion Columbia River, 1401 N. 
Hayden Island Dr., Portland, OR 97217, 503-283-2111.
August 20-22, Bismarck, ND, Holiday Inn, 605 East Broadway, 
Bismarck, ND 58501, 701-255-6000.

    All sessions will begin at 8:30 am and adjourn at 5:00 pm. Public 
attendance may be limited to the space available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Gerard, Program Analyst, 
Office of Trust Funds Management, Department of the Interior 505 
Marquette NW., Suite 700, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102, telephone 
number 505-248-5751 and fax number 505-248-5782.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the consultation meeting is 
to provide Indian tribes and individuals an opportunity for 
participation in the improvement of IIM customer service. The 
anticipated result of the consultation is to ensure that the Department 
adheres to the mandates of Pub. Law 103-412, the American Indian Trust 
Fund Management Reform Act. Specifically, the Department must ensure 
that: (1) IIM funds are deposited on a timely basis; (2) IIM interest 
is paid on a timely basis; (3) proper accounting for IIM daily and 
annual balances exists; and (4) periodic statements to IIM account 
holders will be provided.
    All oral and written comments presented by tribes and individual 
account holders at the tribal consultation meetings will be recorded, 
transcribed and taken into consideration by the agency.
    Summaries of the meetings will be available for public inspection 
and copying ten days following the meeting.

    Dated: May 8, 1996.
Ada E. Deer,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-12142 Filed 5-14-96; 8:45 am]
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