80 FR 10209 - Call for Nominations for Treasury Secretary Appointments to Tribal Advisory Committee

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 37 (February 25, 2015)

The Treasury Department (``Treasury'') seeks nominations for appointments by the Secretary of the Treasury (``Secretary'') to the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee (TTAC), established pursuant to the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-168, or TGWEA). The TTAC will advise the Secretary on matters related to the taxation of Indians, training and education for Internal Revenue Service (``Service'') field agents who administer and enforce internal revenue laws with respect to Indian tribes; and training and technical assistance for tribal financial officers. Nominations should describe the candidate's qualifications for TTAC membership. Submittal of an application and resume is required. This request for nominations, particularly from tribal leaders, is in furtherance of the objectives of Executive Order 13175 under which Treasury consults with tribal officials in the development of federal policies that have tribal implications, to reinforce the United States government-to-government relationships with Indian tribes and to reduce the imposition of unfunded mandates upon Indian tribes.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 37 (Wednesday, February 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10209-10210]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03986]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY


Call for Nominations for Treasury Secretary Appointments to 
Tribal Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Treasury Department (``Treasury'') seeks nominations for 
appointments by the Secretary of the Treasury (``Secretary'') to the 
Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee (TTAC), established pursuant to the 
Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-168, or 
TGWEA). The TTAC will advise the Secretary on matters related to the 
taxation of Indians, training and education for Internal Revenue 
Service (``Service'') field agents who administer and enforce internal 
revenue laws with respect to Indian tribes; and training and technical 
assistance for tribal financial officers. Nominations should describe 
the candidate's qualifications for TTAC membership. Submittal of an 
application and resume is required.
    This request for nominations, particularly from tribal leaders, is 
in furtherance of the objectives of Executive Order 13175 under which 
Treasury consults with tribal officials in the development of federal 
policies that have tribal implications, to reinforce the United States 
government-to-government relationships with Indian tribes and to reduce 
the imposition of unfunded mandates upon Indian tribes.

DATES: Please submit the names and qualifications of individuals you 
would recommend for appointment to the TTAC by the Secretary, 
applications for appointment by the Secretary to the TTAC or comments 
on this matter, before April 28, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Please send recommendations and applications to 
[email protected], with a subject line ``Treasury Tribal 
Advisory Committee member recommendation or application.'' We will 
accept applications for Secretarial appointments until April 28, 2015. 
Self-nominations are welcome.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine Buckberg, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Policy Coordination and Point of Contact for Tribal 
Consultation, Department of the Treasury, at 
[email protected] or 202-622-2200. Please use the subject 
line ``Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee'' in email correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction and Background

I. Description and Mandate of the TTAC

    The TGWEA, signed into law by President Obama on September 26, 
2014, requires that Treasury establish the TTAC. Committee members will 
advise the Secretary on matters related to the taxation of Indians, the 
training of Service field agents who administer and enforce internal 
revenue laws with respect to Indian tribes, and the provision of 
training and technical assistance to Native American financial 
officers. The Secretary will appoint three Committee members; the 
Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate Finance Committee and House of 
Representative Ways and Means Committee will each appoint one member. 
The TTAC Charter has been filed; a copy of the Charter is posted at 
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/economic-policy/tribal-policy/Documents/TTAC%20Charter%202-10-15.pdf.
    Recommendations for the four Congressional appointments to the TTAC 
should be directed to the offices of the four Members of Congress

[[Page 10210]]

specified in the law, whose roles are identified above. This notice 
requests nominations for the three Secretarial appointments.
    The TWGEA builds on prior guidance that Treasury and the Service 
issued in direct response to requests from a number of tribal leaders, 
including representatives of the National Congress of American Indians 
(NCAI), Native American Finance Officers' Association (NAFOA) and 
United Southern and Eastern Tribes (USET). Beginning in 2011, Treasury 
and the Service met extensively with tribal leaders, developed draft 
legal guidance, and requested comments. In IRS Notice 2012-75, draft 
guidance was issued ``with reliance'' to provide immediate certainty on 
conditions under which tribal government benefits are not subject to 
the Federal personal income tax. Final IRS guidance, issued last June 
as Rev. Proc. 2014-35, clarified these matters further. Building on 
this guidance, we anticipate that members of the TTAC will advise the 
Secretary on related tax issues, and on the training and education of 
Service field agents and tribal financial officers, as indicated in the 
TGWEA.

II. Application for TTAC Appointment

    Treasury seeks applications from individuals with experience and 
qualifications in the subject areas identified by the TWGEA: Indian 
taxation, Service field agent training, and Native American financial 
officer training and technical assistance. Initial TTAC members 
appointed by the Secretary will serve as volunteers for terms of two 
years. TTAC member travel expenses will be reimbursed within government 
guidelines. No person who is a federally-registered lobbyist may serve 
on the TTAC. All potential candidates must pass a Service (IRS) tax 
compliance check and a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background 
investigation.
    To apply, an applicant must submit an appropriately detailed resume 
and a cover letter that includes a description of the applicant's 
reason for applying. An applicant must state in the application 
materials that he or she agrees to submit to a pre-appointment tax and 
criminal background investigation in accordance with Treasury Directive 
21-03.

Elaine Buckberg,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Planning, Economic Policy.
[FR Doc. 2015-03986 Filed 2-23-15; 4:15 pm]
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