I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2535 

To elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health Service within 

the Department of Health and Human Services to Assistant Secretary 

for Indian Health, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2023 

Mr. STANTON (for himself and Mr. JOYCE of Ohio) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 

addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health 

Service within the Department of Health and Human 

Services to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stronger Engagement 

5 for Indian Health Needs Act of 2023’’. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 2535 IH

1 SEC. 2. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INDIAN HEALTH. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 601(a) of the Indian 

3 Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(a)) is 

4 amended— 

5 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘tribes’’ and 

6 inserting ‘‘Tribes’’; 

7 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

8 (A) by striking ‘‘a Director’’ and inserting 

9 ‘‘an Assistant Secretary for Indian Health (in 

10 this section referred to as the ‘Assistant Sec11 retary’)’’; 

12 (B) by striking ‘‘The Director shall report’’ 

13 and inserting ‘‘The Assistant Secretary shall re14 port directly’’; 

15 (C) by striking ‘‘the Director’’ and insert16 ing ‘‘the Assistant Secretary’’; and 

17 (D) by striking ‘‘A Director’’ and inserting 

18 ‘‘An Assistant Secretary’’; 

19 (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘date of en20 actment of the Indian Health Care Improvement Re21 authorization and Extension Act of 2009 shall serve 

22 as Director’’ and inserting ‘‘date of enactment of the 

23 Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act 

24 of 2023 shall serve as Assistant Secretary’’; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 2535 IH

1 (4) in paragraph (4), in the matter before sub2 paragraph (A), by striking ‘‘Director’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’; and 

4 (5) by adding at the end the following new 

5 paragraph: 

6 ‘‘(5) DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The As7 sistant Secretary, with the approval of the Secretary, 

8 may appoint a Deputy Assistant Secretary and may 

9 employ and prescribe the functions of such officers 

10 and employees, including attorneys, as are necessary 

11 to administer the activities of the Service.’’. 

12 (b) DUTIES.—Section 601(c) of the Indian Health 

13 Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(c)) is amended— 

14 (1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by 

15 striking ‘‘Director’’ and inserting ‘‘Assistant Sec16 retary’’; and 

17 (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘date of en18 actment of the Indian Health Care Improvement Re19 authorization and Extension Act of 2009’’ and in20 serting ‘‘date of enactment of the Stronger Engage21 ment for Indian Health Needs Act of 2023’’. 

22 (c) AUTHORITY.—Section 601(d)(1) of the Indian 

23 Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(d)(1)) is 

24 amended in the matter before subparagraph (A), by strik25 ing ‘‘Director’’ and inserting ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 2535 IH

1 (d) REFERENCES.—Section 601 of the Indian Health 

2 Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661) is amended by 

3 adding at the end the following new subsection: 

4 ‘‘(e) REFERENCES.—Any reference to the Director of 

5 the Indian Health Service in any Federal law, Executive 

6 order, rule, regulation, or delegation of authority, or in 

7 any document of or relating to the Director of the Indian 

8 Health Service, shall be deemed to refer to the Assistant 

9 Secretary.’’. 

10 (e) RATE OF BASIC PAY.— 

11 (1) POSITIONS AT LEVEL IV.—Section 5315 of 

12 title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking 

13 ‘‘Assistant Secretaries of Health and Human Serv14 ices (6)’’ and inserting ‘‘Assistant Secretaries of 

15 Health and Human Services (7)’’. 

16 (2) POSITIONS AT LEVEL V.—Section 5316 of 

17 title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking 

18 ‘‘Director, Indian Health Service, Department of 

19 Health and Human Services.’’. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB