Bill > HR3654

This bill, called the Tribal Emergency Response Resources Act (TERRA Act), aims to empower Indian Tribes facing environmental risks and natural disasters by creating a streamlined, flexible process for integrating and administering federal funding. The bill allows eligible Indian Tribes to develop comprehensive Plans that can combine funding from multiple federal programs to address environmental threats like flooding, erosion, sea level rise, drought, and extreme weather events. Under the bill, Tribes can integrate funding sources, reallocate resources, and even pursue community-driven relocation if necessary, with reduced administrative burdens. The Department of the Interior will serve as the lead agency, with the Secretary of the Interior having primary decision-making authority. Key provisions include expedited permitting processes, simplified reporting requirements, the ability to waive certain federal regulations, and guaranteed funding transfers. The bill emphasizes Tribal self-determination and recognizes the unique government-to-government relationship between Indian Tribes and the federal government, ensuring that Tribes have more control and flexibility in addressing environmental challenges that threaten their lands, resources, and ways of life.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Government Affairs

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3654/all-info