Today. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen convened a meeting of the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee. The meeting is the Committee’s first since former Committee member, Chief Lynn Malerba, was appointed U.S. Treasurer earlier this year.
During the meeting, Secretary Yellen emphasized Treasury’s commitment to strengthening its nation-to-nation relationships with Tribal governments and investing in Tribal communities, while Committee members shared their priorities with the Secretary.
The Committee received updates from the subcommittees on the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act, dual taxation, and Tribal pensions. The Committee also heard public comments on Tribal taxation matters ranging from Tribal general welfare programs to the tax status of Tribally chartered corporations.
U.S. Treasurer Malerba announced Treasury would commence formal consultations with tribes on the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act in December to inform the development of guidance to implement the Act.
The following individuals were in attendance at the Committee meeting in-person at Treasury or virtually:
- Janet L. Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury
- Chief Lynn Malerba, U.S. Treasurer
- W. Ron Allen, Chairman and Chief Executive Office of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
- Rebecca Benally, Member of the Navajo Nation
- Sharon Edenfield, Tribal Council Member, Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians
- Jean Swift, Interim Chief Financial Officer, Mashantucket Pequot Tribe
- Stephanie Williams, Chief Financial Officer of Naskila Gaming, Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas
- Will Micklin, 4th Vice President, Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
- Krishna P. Vallabhaneni, Designated Federal Officer
Swift, Williams, and Micklin are new members of the Committee, appointed earlier this year.
Pursuant to Section 3 of the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2014, and in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee was established on February 10, 2015. This seven-member committee advises the Secretary on significant matters related to the taxation of Indians, the training of IRS field agents, and the provisions of training and technical assistance to Native American financial officers. The membership has three appointees nominated by the Secretary of the Treasury, two appointed by the House Committee on Ways and Means, and two nominated by the Senate Committee on Finance.