The Government has again extended the deadline for submission for comments to the American Indian Probate Reform Act’s proposed federal regulation. The new deadline is April 29, 2021.

Let me attempt to follow the comment deadline history for the new proposed regulations…

• When first published on January 6, the deadline was listed as February 8. We were hot to announce by posting this website to help spread the word.
• Within days the deadline was corrected to March 8. We began a blog campaign to help spread the word.
• In response to an Elder’s plead, the Government extended the deadline to April 8. However, the Government did not update the federal register to reflect the new deadline or provided instruction in the federal register on submitting comments.
• The week of April 8, we have taken to Facebook live to read through the regulations to help Indian families understand the content and meaning of the proposed regulations and again remind them of the upcoming deadline of April 8.
• Yesterday, April 13, we reached out to the Government to learn that the deadline has been extended yet another time to April 29, 2021.

The presentation of these proposed regulations is disheartening during the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, but to further complicate matters, the changes in the comment deadline have confused Indian communities. I suspect people who would have submitted comments may not have thought the deadline had passed. Not having the original federal register posting updated has made it even more confusing.

Per the Government’s instructions found here, you may submit comments by any one of the following methods:

• Federal rulemaking portal www.regulations.gov. The rule is listed under Agency Docket Number DOI-2019-0001.
• Email: Tribes may email comments to: consultation@bia.gov. All others should email their comments to: comments@bia.gov.
• Mail or Courier: Ms. Elizabeth Appel, Office of Regulatory Affairs & Collaborative Action, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Mail Stop 4660 MIB, Washington, DC 20240.

To know more about the injustice of the timing and method the Department is using in rolling out these new regulations, listen to the video on our Blog post: Elder’s Plea to Delay AIPRA Rulemaking during Pandemic.

These new rules will give Native Americans even less due process and protection for Indian landowners. It is vital that you be involved and learn what these new regulations mean for you and your future generations. The proposed changes and presentation materials can be found on our Blog page: AIPRA Proposed Rule Presentation Materials.

The complete list of proposed changes can be found here: www.FederalRegister.gov

Let the Department know your involved, informed and sharing information they need to understand the impact of their proposed regulations.

We hope you Join the Discussion by signing up for our Blog newsletter at www.NativeProbate.org. Get Involved, Stay Informed, and Share Information.

For your FREE Indian Will, please visit our Blog page: Free Indian Wills.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Attorney Roberta Armstrong at Roberta@IndianWillsOnWheels.org