WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of the Treasury today and yesterday hosted Tribal Consultations on the Inflation Reduction Act to hear first-hand from Tribal leaders about provisions in the law that directly affect Tribal nations. More than 200 Tribal leaders and citizens attended.
The consultations are part of Treasury’s ongoing work to solicit input to inform its implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, the single most significant legislation to combat climate change in our nation’s history. Nearly three quarters of the law’s $369 billion climate change investment - $270 billion – is delivered via tax incentives, putting Treasury at the forefront of this landmark legislation.
The formal consultations also represent Treasury’s broader commitment to robust, meaningful, and regular consultation with Tribal Nations as part of its effort to strengthen relationships with tribes. In June, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen became the first Treasury Secretary to visit a Tribal Nation when she visited the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, and in September, Mohegan Chief Lynn Malerba was sworn in as the Treasurer of the U.S., the first Native American to hold that office. The Department also this year established a new Office of Tribal and Native Affairs, which reports to the Treasurer and coordinates Tribal relations throughout the Department.
Specifically, Treasury requested input from Tribal leaders on provisions related to direct payments to Indian Tribal governments for qualifying clean energy projects, the allocation of bonus tax credits for qualifying clean energy projects located on Indian land, and procedures for car dealers to sell vehicles eligible for clean vehicle tax credits to register with the IRS, including car dealers licensed by an Indian Tribal government.
Treasury is also accepting written comments from Tribal leaders at: tribal.consult@treasury.gov.
For more information on Treasury’s stakeholder engagement around the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate and clean energy provisions, please see:
November 4, 2022: READOUT: Stakeholder Roundtable on Clean Vehicles and the Inflation Reduction Act
November 29, 2022: Treasury Announces Guidance on Inflation Reduction Act’s Strong Labor Protections