{"id":19334,"date":"2021-12-17T14:59:05","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T19:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=19334"},"modified":"2021-12-17T15:09:49","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T20:09:49","slug":"bureau-of-indian-affairs-finalizes-new-probate-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/17\/bureau-of-indian-affairs-finalizes-new-probate-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"Bureau of Indian Affairs finalizes new probate rule"},"content":{"rendered":" <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/17\/bureau-of-indian-affairs-finalizes-new-probate-rule\/bryannewland-6\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19344\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" data-attachment-id=\"19344\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/12\/17\/bureau-of-indian-affairs-finalizes-new-probate-rule\/bryannewland-6\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/17\/bryannewland-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1707\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;X-Pro2&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1636993679&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;153.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;2000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Bryan Newland\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Bryan Newland serves as the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, a political position at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Photo: &lt;a href=https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/usinterior\/51684762423\/in\/dateposted\/&gt;USDOI&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/17\/bryannewland-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/17\/bryannewland-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Bryan Newland\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-19344\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> Bryan Newland serves as the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, a political position at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Photo: <a href=https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/usinterior\/51684762423\/in\/dateposted\/>USDOI<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Bureau of Indian Affairs finalizes new probate rule<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Friday, December 17, 2021<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/>Bureau of Indian Affairs<\/a> has finalized changes to federal probate regulations that are aimed at streamlining the process.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/17\/2021-27257.pdf>final rule is being published<\/a> in the <a href=https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/public-inspection\/2021-27257\/american-indian-probate-regulations>Federal Register on Monday<\/a>. The <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/as-ia\/raca\/potential-probate-regulatory-revisions>changes have been in development<\/a> for more than four years.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWith this final rule, the BIA\u2019s process for probating Indian trust estates can now work more efficiently,\u201d   Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland said in a news release on Friday.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n \u201cThanks to comments we received from tribal leaders, tribal members and the public, those who must use the process can be assured their trust estates will be probated in a more timely manner than in the past,\u201d said Newland, a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community.\r\n<p><\/p><div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\nAccording to the BIA, the final rule eliminates ambiguities and procedural delays in the probate process. The  changes should result in quicker distribution of trust assets to a person&#8217;s heirs and devisees.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe rule will become effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register on December 20.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Federal Register  Notice<\/div>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/17\/2021-27257.pdf>American Indian Probate Regulations<\/a> (To Be Published December 20, 2021)\r\n<div class=row><div class=col-10>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/17\/2021-27257.pdf\" class=\"pdfemb-viewer\" style=\"\" data-width=\"max\" data-height=\"max\" data-toolbar=\"both\" data-toolbar-fixed=\"on\">2021-27257<\/a>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Press Release:BIA Announces Publication of Final Rule for Probating Indian Trust Estates <\/div>\r\n<em>The following is the text of a December 17, 2021, news release from the <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/>Bureau of Indian Affairs<\/a>.<\/em>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nWASHINGTON  &#8212; The Bureau of Indian Affairs today announced it has published a rule that finalizes revisions to the probate process for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals with property held in federal Indian trust status. The final rule eliminates ambiguities and procedural delays in the federal process for probating Indian trust estates so that such property may be distributed more quickly to a decedent\u2019s heirs and devisees.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWith this final rule, the BIA\u2019s process for probating Indian trust estates can now work more efficiently,\u201d said Assistant Secretary \u2013 Indian Affairs Bryan Newland. \u201cThanks to comments we received from Tribal leaders, Tribal members and the public, those who must use the process can be assured their trust estates will be probated in a more timely manner than in the past.\u201d\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe final rule, which amends regulations promulgated in 2008 shortly after enactment of the American Indian Probate Reform Act, is the result of several years of input from federally recognized Tribes, as well as Tribal members. In 2016 and 2017, the BIA reached out to Tribes for input on how the probate process was working. Based on that input, the Bureau in 2019 identi\ufb01ed issues in its existing regulations governing the Indian probate process and requested comments from Tribes and the public on where improvements could be made through regulatory change.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nOn January 7, 2021, the Department published a proposed rule and hosted additional Tribal consultation and public sessions in February. The \ufb01nal rule makes several changes to the proposed rule directly in response to input received from those sessions including, for example, deleting a proposed provision requiring potential heirs who may inherit solely as co-owners to \ufb01le a request for notice and maintaining a broad approach to notification of probate estates.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe Department of the Interior is responsible for probating thousands of estates each year for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals who own trust or restricted fee property. The BIA, the Office of Hearings and Appeals, and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration each play a role in the probate process: the BIA compiles the information needed to build a case record, or probate \ufb01le, which it transfers to the OHA for adjudication and issuance of a \ufb01nal probate decision. Based on that decision, the BTFA distributes trust funds and the BIA distributes trust or restricted real property from the estate.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/as-ia>Assistant Secretary \u2013 Indian Affairs<\/a> advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues; communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA); provides leadership in consultations with tribes; and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on matters concerning American Indians and Alaska Natives and the federally recognized Tribes in the United States.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/>BIA<\/a> directly administers and funds Tribally operated infrastructure, law enforcement and justice, social services (including child welfare), Tribal governance, and trust land and natural and energy resources management programs for the nation\u2019s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes through four offices: Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services, and Field Operations. The <a href=https:\/\/www.indianaffairs.gov\/bia\/ots\/dop>Office of Trust Services\u2019 Division of Probate<\/a> carries out the Bureau\u2019s role in probating Indian trust estates. 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