Biden-Harris Administration support for Indian Country continues through increased investments

Press Release

WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris Administration today released the President’s Budget for fiscal year 2025. The FY 2025 budget makes significant investments to continue to promote safe, healthy and resilient Tribal communities.

The FY 2025 President’s Budget request for Indian Affairs programs is $4.6 billion. This includes $2.9 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, $1.5 billion for the Bureau of Indian Education, and $111.3 million for the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration.

"The 2025 budget continues the administration’s commitment to honoring the Nation’s treaty and trust responsibilities and empowering Tribes to meet the needs of their communities," said Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland. "Historic investments in Indian Country over the past three years, which were long overdue, have made a real difference in people’s lives. This budget will continue to support our work to make Tribal communities safer and more livable, while strengthening Tribal sovereignty."

These investments will support:

Community Safety and Law Enforcement

Law Enforcement

• $651.2 million for Public Safety and Justice programs, this is an increase of $71.5 million above the annualized FY 2024 Continuing Resolution. This includes:
  • $319.7 million for Criminal Investigations and Police Services programs, an increase of $33.5 million, which is specifically targeted to increase the number of officers and investigators on the ground in Indian Country.
  • $16.5 million to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. The Missing and Murdered Unit engages in cross-departmental and interagency collaboration to identify gaps in information-sharing and data collection to more effectively investigate these cases.
  • A program increase of $2 million to enhance functions within the BIA Office of Justice Services’ professional standards program, including recruitment and retention initiatives, and development and evaluation of law enforcement policies, program reviews and training.
  • $250,000 to support the mental health, wellness, and resiliency of law enforcement officers from recruitment to retirement to support healthy law enforcement officers, who have more effective interactions with the public and make sound operational decisions in the performance of their duties.

The FY 2025 budget increase builds on previous investments during the Biden-Harris administration, which have resulted in a $131 million, or 29 percent, increase in funding for public safety and justice over the FY 2021 enacted levels. This increased funding for public safety and justice programs has been crucial as Indian Affairs continues to strive to meet our obligations to Indian Country.

Indian Affairs' continued work to make robust and strategic investments in public safety and justice programs is underscored by a new annual Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) report conveyed to Congress, titled “Spending, Staffing, and Estimated Funding Costs for Public Safety and Justice Programs in Indian Country,” which describes the outstanding resources needed to adequately serve Indian Country each year.

Support for Families and Communities

• $73.1 million for the Tiwahe Initiative, an increase of $28.6 million from the FY 2024 CR.
  • The Tiwahe Initiative is an extensive and bold approach to furthering Indian self-determination and self-governance across multiple BIA programs. It allows Tribes to have flexibility in their administration of key Tribal programs, supports Tribal economic self-sufficiency, and strengthens Tribal cultural connections. Tiwahe fosters systemic change in the delivery of services to children and families through the integration of Tribal practices, customs, values and traditions.
  • One of the Tiwahe Initiative program increases is an additional $1.9 million for the Office of Tribal Justice Support to provide technical assistance to Tribes looking to develop and operate Healing to Wellness courts. These courts serve as alternatives to incarceration and provide a culturally appropriate forum to support those within the criminal justice system by assisting in addressing underlying behavioral health and substance abuse issues.

Classroom support and school construction

• $1.5 billion for Indian Education programs, an increase of $119.5 million above the FY 2024 CR, to provide a strong educational foundation for Native children to succeed. The budget includes key investments to strengthen BIE’s autonomy as a federal agency and improve local services for Tribally controlled and bureau-operated schools while also advancing equity for historically underserved Tribal communities. This includes:
  • $310.2 million in funding for Education Construction, an increase of $42.3 million to replace and repair school facilities and address deferred maintenance needs at campuses across the BIE school system.
  • $191.1 million for postsecondary schools and programs, a $7.5 million increase, which includes $136.1 million for Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Tribal colleges, universities and technical colleges and $55.0 million for expanded Tribal scholarships and adult education programs.

Supporting Tribal Programs

Tribal Contract Support Costs

• Contract Support Costs funding is critical for Tribal sovereignty, enabling Tribes to assume responsibility for operating federal programs by covering the costs to administer them. The budget proposes to reclassify Tribal Contract Support Costs from discretionary to mandatory funding beginning in 2026 while requesting $426.2 million in discretionary funding in 2025 to fully cover estimated requirements.

Investing in Tribal infrastructure

• Section 105(l) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act provides that Tribes and Tribal organizations carrying out federal functions under a self-determination contract or self-governance compact may enter into a lease agreement with the Department of the Interior for the Tribally owned or rented facility used to carry out those functions. This critical Tribal sovereignty payment is allowing Indian Affairs to get Tribes closer to meeting the full cost of program implementation and improve their facilities. The 2025 budget proposes to reclassify 105(l) lease agreement requirements from discretionary to mandatory funding beginning in 2026 while requesting $120.0 million in discretionary funding in 2025 to fully cover estimated requirements. Additional funds are also requested to support higher BIA staffing levels needed to meet the increased demand in leases from Tribes.

Indian Land Consolidation

• The President’s budget requests $11 million, a $3 million increase above the 2024 CR level, for the Indian Land Consolidation Program, which purchases fractional interests from willing individual Indian landowners and conveys those interests to the Tribe with jurisdiction. This funding recognizes the ongoing need to address fractionation on Indian lands while also focusing support on Tribes’ plans for and adaptation to the impacts of climate change. This program has been especially important since the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, established as part of the Cobell Settlement, ended in November 2022. The Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations made significant progress in reducing fractionation and achieving Tribal majority interest, but additional funds, such as those in the 2025 budget, are needed to sustain the progress of the program, and ensure Tribes are able to manage their lands.

For more information on the President’s FY 2025 budget, please visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/.

For more information on the FY 2025 budget proposals for the Department, please visit: www.doi.gov/cj.

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