(a) Request by tribe for contract or grant by Secretary of the Interior for improving, etc., tribal governmental, contracting, and program planning activities

The Secretary of the Interior is authorized, upon the request of any Indian tribe (from funds appropriated for the benefit of Indians pursuant to section 13 of this title, and any Act subsequent thereto) to contract with or make a grant or grants to any tribal organization for—

(1) the strengthening or improvement of tribal government (including, but not limited to, the development, improvement, and administration of planning, financial management, or merit personnel systems; the improvement of tribally funded programs or activities; or the development, construction, improvement, maintenance, preservation, or operation of tribal facilities or resources);

(2) the planning, training, evaluation of other activities designed to improve the capacity of a tribal organization to enter into a contract or contracts pursuant to section 5321 of this title and the additional costs associated with the initial years of operation under such a contract or contracts; or

(3) the acquisition of land in connection with items (1) and (2) above: Provided, That in the case of land within Indian country (as defined in chapter 53 of title 18) or which adjoins on at least two sides lands held in trust by the United States for the tribe or for individual Indians, the Secretary of ¹ Interior may (upon request of the tribe) acquire such land in trust for the tribe.

(b) Grants by Secretary of Health and Human Services for development, maintenance, etc., of health facilities or services and improvement of contract capabilities implementing hospital and health facility functions

The Secretary of Health and Human Services may, in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to section 5328 of this title, make grants to any Indian tribe or tribal organization for—

(1) the development, construction, operation, provision, or maintenance of adequate health facilities or services including the training of personnel for such work, from funds appropriated to the Indian Health Service for Indian health services or Indian health facilities; or

(2) planning, training, evaluation or other activities designed to improve the capacity of a tribal organization to enter into a contract or contracts pursuant to section 103 of this Act.²

(c) Use as matching shares for other similar Federal grant programs

The provisions of any other Act notwithstanding, any funds made available to a tribal organization under grants pursuant to this section may be used as matching shares for any other Federal grant programs which contribute to the purposes for which grants under this section are made.

(d) Technical assistance

The Secretary is directed, upon the request of any tribal organization and subject to the availability of appropriations, to provide technical assistance on a nonreimbursable basis to such tribal organization—

(1) to develop any new self-determination contract authorized pursuant to this chapter;

(2) to provide for the assumption by such tribal organization of any program, or portion thereof, provided for in section 5321(a)(1) of this title; or

(3) to develop modifications to any proposal for a self-determination contract which the Secretary has declined to approve pursuant to section 5321 of this title.

(e) Grants for technical assistance and for planning, etc., Federal programs for tribe

The Secretary is authorized, upon the request of an Indian tribe, to make a grant to any tribal organization for—

(1) obtaining technical assistance from providers designated by the tribal organization, including tribal organizations that operate mature contracts, for the purposes of program planning and evaluation, including the development of any management systems necessary for contract management, and the development of cost allocation plans for indirect cost rates; and

(2) the planning, designing, monitoring, and evaluating of Federal programs serving the tribe, including Federal administrative functions.