An article released on The Hill states that the senate will be asked to approve by unanimous consent settlement of the proposed Cobell Lawsuit (Cobell v. Salazar). It creates a new class to settle land and natural resource mismanagement claims that were never part of the original litigation and not been part of the 14-year-long Cobell lawsuit, which sought only an accounting of individual Indian money (IIM) accounts. If congress approves it, the settlement will consist of two classes: those of the historical accounting class and the new “un-litigated” class — the trust mismanagement class. The first class will receive $1,000 and the second new class will receive $500 and a formula based on the top 10 sums that have filtered through a person’s IIM account.

Learn more about this settlement at www.TheHill.com.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the United States Department of Agriculture has selected a 27 projects to receive grants to help fund rural businesses, start new businesses, save and create jobs, and train workers in Native American communities in 12 states.

“Focus will be placed on technical assistance for private business entities in the form of credit building and repair through a credit-counseling course.” A business plan development course will also be offered for small business owners and local merchants.

$3.4 million in announced grants is administered through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business Enterprise Grant program.

For more information about these economic opportunities for your tribal entity, please contact REDW Tribal Services team members and .

The Government Accountability Brief from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants states that Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 54, Fund Balance Reporting and Governmental Fund Type Definitions, is a sleeping giant, and could unleash the largest changes to governmental fund financial statements since the implementation of GASB Statement No. 34, Basic Financial Statements – and Management’s Discussion and Analysis – for State and Local Governments, and perhaps National Council on Governmental Accounting (NCGA) Statement No. 1, Governmental Accounting and Financial Reporting Principles.

Statement No. 54 will change fund balance classifications to nonspendable, restricted, committed and assigned. It will also modify the definitions of existing fund types.

For further analysis of these changes, visit the AICPA Government Accountability Brief.

To learn more about how these changes will impact your governmental entity, please contact or of REDW’s Tribal Services team.

As part of an effort to improve outreach and enrollment for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) uninsured children in their state's Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded grants to programs operated by Indian Health Service; tribes and tribal organizations; and urban Indian organizations.

To be eligible for these grants, AI/AN health providers were required to demonstrate credibility with their local tribal and urban Indian communities in conducting outreach and enrollment activities. The grantees will report to CMS those outreach activities found to be the most effective to enroll and retain AI/AN children in Medicaid and CHIP so that CMS can share these practices among all grantees.

For assistance in evaluating your growth strategies and identifying opportunities your tribal healthcare organization, please contact REDW's healthcare experts, and .

Indian Country Today reports that the U.S. Department of Labor is making significant grants to the Workforce Investment Act Indian and Native American Program.

The Department's Employment and Training Administration said that roughly $53 million of the $67 million total would go toward a Comprehensive Service Program for adults, with the remaining amount designated for a youth Supplemental Services Program.

Indian Country notes that the grant application is available online, as is an online suite of resources for grant applicants.

REDW offers Tribal Services as one of its core practice areas. If we may help you, please don't hesitate to contact our Tribal Services experts or today.