H.R. 741

IB
  Union Calendar No. 668
  119TH CONGRESS
  2D SESSION
  H. R. 741
  [Report No. 119–767, Part I]
  To elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health Service within
  the Department of Health and Human Services to Assistant Secretary
  for Indian Health, and for other purposes.
  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  JANUARY 28, 2025
  Mr. STANTON (for himself and Mr. JOYCE of Ohio) introduced the following
  bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in
  addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be
  subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
  cerned
  AUGUST 27, 2026
  Additional sponsors: Mr. FITZPATRICK and Ms. LOFGREN
  AUGUST 27, 2026
  Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with amendments
  [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
  AUGUST 27, 2026
  Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; committed to the Committee
  of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
  [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 28, 2025]
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  A BILL
  To elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health
  Service within the Department of Health and Human
  Services to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health, and
  for other purposes.
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1Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
  2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3   SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stronger Engagement
  5 for Indian Health Needs Act of 2025’’.
6   SEC. 2. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INDIAN HEALTH.
7(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 601(a) of the Indian
  8 Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(a)) is
  9 amended—
10(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘tribes’’ and
11inserting ‘‘Tribes’’;
12(2) in paragraph (2)—
13(A) by striking ‘‘a Director’’ and inserting
14‘‘an Assistant Secretary for Indian Health (in
15this section referred to as the ‘Assistant Sec-
16retary’)’’;
17(B) by striking ‘‘The Director shall report’’
18and inserting ‘‘The Assistant Secretary shall re-
19port directly’’;
20(C) by striking ‘‘the Director’’ and inserting
21‘‘the Assistant Secretary’’; and
22(D) by striking ‘‘A Director’’ and inserting
23‘‘An Assistant Secretary’’;
24(3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘date of enact-
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25ment of the Indian Health Care Improvement Reau-
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1thorization and Extension Act of 2009 shall serve as
2Director’’ and inserting ‘‘date of enactment of the
3Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of
42025 shall serve as Assistant Secretary’’;
5(4) in paragraph (4), in the matter before sub-
6paragraph (A), by striking ‘‘Director’’ and inserting
7‘‘Assistant Secretary’’; and
8(5) by adding at the end the following new para-
9graph:
10‘‘(5) DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The As-
11sistant Secretary may—
12‘‘(A) with the approval of the Secretary, ap-
13point a Deputy Assistant Secretary; and
14‘‘(B) consistent with applicable law, utilize
15officers and employees of the Department as nec-
16essary to administer the activities of the Serv-
17ice.’’.
18(b) DUTIES.—Section 601(c) of the Indian Health
  19 Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(c)) is amended—
20(1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by strik-
21ing ‘‘Director’’ and inserting ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’;
22and
23(2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘date of enact-
24ment of the Indian Health Care Improvement Reau-
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25thorization and Extension Act of 2009’’ and inserting
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1‘‘date of enactment of the Stronger Engagement for
2Indian Health Needs Act of 2025’’.
3(c) AUTHORITY.—Section 601(d)(1) of the Indian
  4 Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661(d)(1)) is
  5 amended in the matter before subparagraph (A), by striking
  6 ‘‘Director’’ and inserting ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’.
7(d) REFERENCES.—Section 601 of the Indian Health
  8 Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1661) is amended by
  9 adding at the end the following new subsection:
10‘‘(e) REFERENCES.—Any reference to the Director of
  11 the Indian Health Service in any Federal law, Executive
  12 order, rule, regulation, or delegation of authority, or in any
  13 document of or relating to the Director of the Indian Health
  14 Service, shall be deemed to refer to the Assistant Sec-
  15 retary.’’.
16(e) RATE OF BASIC PAY.—
17(1) POSITIONS AT LEVEL IV.—Section 5315 of
18title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking
19‘‘Assistant Secretaries of Health and Human Services
20(6)’’ and inserting ‘‘Assistant Secretaries of Health
21and Human Services (7)’’.
22(2) POSITIONS AT LEVEL V.—Section 5316 of
23title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking
24‘‘Director, Indian Health Service, Department of
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25Health and Human Services.’’.
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  Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to redesignate
  the position of Director of the Indian Health Service
  within the Department of Health and Human Services as
  Assistant Secretary for Indian Health, and for other pur-
  poses.’’.
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  Union Calendar No. 668
119TH CONGRESS
   2D SESSION       H. R. 741
  [Report No. 119–767, Part I]
  H741
  A BILL
  E:\BILLS\H741.RH
To elevate the position of Director of the Indian
  Health Service within the Department of Health
  and Human Services to Assistant Secretary for
  Indian Health, and for other purposes.
  Sfmt 6651
  AUGUST 27, 2026
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with
  Fmt 6651
  amendments
  AUGUST 27, 2026
  Frm 00008
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; com-
  mitted to the Committee of the Whole House on the
  State of the Union and ordered to be printed
  PO 00000
  Jkt 069200
  21:34 Aug 27, 2026
  VerDate Sep 11 2014
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