Caucus Chair:
Laura Douglass

Caucus Vice Chair:
Terry Nelson

Board Liaison:
Jamie Galloway, CEM, iaem.R6@iaem.com

Staff Liaison:
Beth Armstrong, MAM, CAE, armstrong@iaem.com 

IAEM-USA members interested in participating in this committee should email the committee leadership and tell them how you can contribute to or learn from this committee's important work. Members may retrieve leadership email addresses by searching the membership directory.

Purpose Statement

The IAEM-USA Tribal Affairs Caucus monitors issues of emergency management relating to tribal governments in the United States.

Caucus Documents

• Caucus Quarterly Report, Nov. 17, 2011-Mar. 31, 2012 (10 May 2012)
• Caucus Meeting Notes, Nov. 13, 2011 (10 May 2012)
• Outbrief from Nov. 15, 2011 Meeting with FEMA External Affairs (10 May 2012)
• FY07 NIMS Compliance Implementation Guidelines for Tribal and Local Jurisdictions: (01 May 2007)
  • FY07 NIMS Compliance Metrics Local & Tribal
  • FY07 NIMS Compliance Metrics Terms of Reference
  • NIMS CAP
  • NIMS Implementation Matrix for Tribal and Local Jurisdictions (Oct. 1, 2006 to Sept. 30, 2007)
  • Regional NIMS Coordinator Roster
• 2003 Caucus Report
• July 2003 Tribal Affairs Position Paper

Caucus News

• FEMA Will Accept Public Comments on Second Draft of Tribal Declarations Pilot Guidance until Apr. 7, 2016 (12 Jan 2016) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Jan. 8 announced that it is developing guidance to describe new procedures that tribes will follow to request declarations. During consultations, FEMA is asking tribal governments for their thoughts and comments on the second draft of the Tribal Declarations Pilot Guidance. The input provided during the tribal consultations will inform the further development of the pilot guidance. The new procedures are being developed because the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 (SRIA) amended the Stafford Act to allow federally recognized Indian tribal governments the choice to request an emergency or major disaster declaration independently of a state or to seek disaster assistance through a state declaration. The second draft of the guidance includes key changes that are responsive to comments that FEMA received from tribes. These changes include: providing for more comprehensive evaluation of the need for Public Assistance grant program funding; modifying and adding definitions of terms, explaining how we look to implement federal statute, and considering additional cultural and religious needs. An overview of the second draft guidance is posted here. The guidance has been posted to the Federal Register for comment until Apr. 7, 2016. More information about FEMA Tribal Affairs is available here, and any questions should be directed to FEMA’s Intergovernmental Affairs Division at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov.

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