Federal Acknowledgment of American Indian Tribes

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs 25 CFR Part 83 [BIA-2022-0001; 256A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900] RIN 1076-AF67 AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The United States Department of the Interior (Department) revises the regulations governing the process through which the Secretary acknowledges an Indian Tribe, creating a conditional, time-limited opportunity for denied petitioners to re-petition for Federal acknowledgment. DATES: This rule is effective on February 14, 2025. ADDRESSES: On request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT , individuals can obtain this document in an alternate format, usable by people with disabilities, at the Office of Federal Acknowledgment, Room 4071, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Oliver Whaley, Director, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action, Office of the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs, (202) 738-6065. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since 1994, the regulations governing the Federal acknowledgment process, located at 25 CFR part 83 (part 83), have included an express prohibition on re-petitioning (ban). When the Department revised the part 83 regulations in 2015 (2015 regulations), the Department decid…