Tribal Interior Budget Council
TIBC Suggested Survey Responses
The mission of the Tribal Interior Budget Council (TIBC) is to provide an advisory government-to-government forum and process for Tribes and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to develop budgets that allow for the fulfillment of Tribes' self-determination, self-governance, sovereignty, and treaty rights, as well as sufficient levels of funding to address the needs of Tribes and their tribal citizens.
NOTICE: The TIBC cooperative agreement between the DOI and NCAI expired on January 1, 2026. DOI will lead all TIBC meeting coordination and planning in-house. NCAI will continue to update Tribal Leaders on TIBC developments, but Meeting Materials for future meetings will not be available through NCAI. Meeting Materials for previous meetings held in accordance with the previous cooperative agreement will be maintained for archival purposes.
Update: Written Comments and Focused TIBC Session
In March, the DOI issued a Dear Tribal Leader Letter (DTLL) inviting Tribal Nations to submit written comments by April 17, 2026, and participate in a focused TIBC session in Washington, D.C., on May 19-20, 2026, where discussions will center on the FY2028 budget process and the future structure of TIBC itself.
In preparation, NCAI is convening a webinar on Monday, March 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. ET, to ensure Tribal Leaders are fully informed and prepared to engage in the next chapter of TIBC. Please join NCAI as we walk through the DOI letter, provide resources and talking points to help Tribal Leaders craft meaningful comment letters, and outline upcoming engagement opportunities to ensure your Nation's priorities are heard.
Upcoming Tribal Interior Budget Council Meeting
ANNOUNCEMENT: TIBC Fall 2025 Meeting Cancelled
We regret to inform you that the Tribal Interior Budget Council (TIBC) Fall 2025 meeting, originally scheduled for November 3-6, 2025, has been cancelled.
We understand this creates uncertainty and inconvenience, and we sincerely apologize for the disruption to your schedules.
We are committed to working with the Department of the Interior (DOI), TIBC Tribal Representatives, and Indian Affairs to continue convening meeting(s) on critical budget matters. More information will be made available as we know more in the future. We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates regarding potential meeting dates as we learn more.
Thank you for your understanding and patience during this time. We value your participation and look forward to the next meeting when we are able to do so.
Please watch for further communications regarding potential upcoming meeting dates.
26 IAM 3 – Distribution of Resources Signed
The Indian Affairs Manual (IAM) for distribution of resources (26 IAM 3 – Distribution of Resources) has been finalized and signed. The IAM provides guidance to all Indian Affairs staff on fund distribution processes, including standard timelines for fund processing for direct appropriations to Indian Affairs for Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs (AS-IA) programs. The Manual establishes a consistent process throughout Indian Affairs for distributing funds to tribal nations. There is a link within the IAM that takes you to several attachments that show examples of various forms used in the distribution processes, flow charts of the overall processes, and templates for individual programs that describe the methodology and calculations used for all funding that is distributed to tribal nations. This effort was completed to ensure standard approaches at all levels within Indian Affairs that will lead to improved efficiency and timeliness in the distribution of funds to tribal nations. All offices and programs are expected to use the processes outlined and to strive towards meeting the timelines outlined within the IAM and templates.
The IAM can be found here: www.bia.gov/policy-forms/manual once you get to this page, scroll down to Part 26 Budget and then scroll up to Chapter 3 (the PART title appears under the chapters). Once you have the manual open, you will see the link that takes you to the attachments within Section 1.1 Purpose. You can also find those attachments hosted on the OBPM webpage here.
View the latest TIBC meeting materials here.
Standing Documents
TIBC Member Orientation Webinar: The Federal Budget Process & TIBC
