33 U.S.C. § 2281a — Tribal Liaison

(a) Within one year after December 23, 2022, each Corps district containing a Tribal community must have a staff Tribal Liaison. (b) Duties. The Liaison shall advise the District Commander and be responsible for: (1) removing Tribal access and participation barriers, including improving section 2213(m) implementation; (2) outreach and engagement about Corps programs and services; (3) identifying and engaging communities with water-resource challenges; (4) improving government-to-government consultation; (5) coordinating and implementing Tribal consultation policies and guidelines, including section 2356 of title; (6) training and tools so staff engage culturally competently, especially regarding ancestral, historic, or culturally significant lands and burial sites; and (7) other issues the Secretary identifies. (c) Within 120 days after December 23, 2022, the Secretary shall finalize guidelines for a Liaison position description and qualifications, including Tribal-community and water-resource experience and expertise. (d) Funding comes from the budget line for civil-works supervision and general administration; filling the job may not depend on increasing that line. (e) “Tribal community” means a community recognized and defined under Federal law as indigenous people of the United States. “Tribal Liaison” means a permanent Corps district employee whose main duties are (A) direct communication between the District Commander and Tribal communities in the district and (B) consistent government-to-government relations.