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Buy Indian Act: Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service Need Greater Insight into Implementation at Regional Offices

What GAO Found

The Department of the Interior’s (Interior) Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service (IHS) have requirements in place to implement the Buy Indian Act. Through supplements to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, both BIA and IHS have policies and procedures to implement key requirements:

  • Indian-owned status . Eligible firms must be 51 percent Indian-owned. The agencies rely on firms to self certify that they are Indian-owned and interested parties may challenge a firm’s self-certification.
  • Indian preference . The agencies require that contractors give preference to Indians in employment and training opportunities, and use a contract clause to implement this requirement.
  • Subcontracting . The agencies require contractors to give preference to Indian firms in the award of any subcontracts.

Continue reading at http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-588.