Tribes describe 477 and Tawahi as proven paths to consolidate services; urge expansion and stable funding
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Summary
Speakers at the Senate roundtable highlighted 477 consolidated plans and the Tawahi pilot as effective mechanisms to combine grants and deliver family-centered services; they asked Congress to authorize and increase funding for those programs.
ANCHORAGE — Tribal leaders told the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs that two long-running Alaska models — Section 477 consolidated plans and the Department of Interior’s Tawahi demonstration — have improved outcomes by allowing tribes to braid federal funds and design culturally appropriate, family-centered services.
“477 has been nothing short of transformative,” said Dan Breeden, president and CEO of Bristol Bay Native Association, which has administered a 477 plan for more than 25 years. Breeden described a case in which a single application and coordinated plan provided work supports, Internet connectivity, childcare and transportation that enabled a single mother to secure employment and enroll in college.
Vivian Korthius, CEO of the Association of Village Council Presidents, described Tawahi as a change catalyst that reduced program silos, restructured 26 departments into six divisions and improved service delivery across 48 communities. AVCP has been a Tawahi demonstration site for 10 years and urged statutory authorization and increased funding to expand the model to more tribes.
Speakers asked the committee to streamline federal oversight, align interagency reporting requirements, and ensure funding protections so consolidated plans can be sustained. Senator Murkowski said the draft legislation includes provisions to strengthen 477 authority and authorize Tawahi-related mechanisms.
The roundtable produced no formal legislative votes; witnesses urged the committee to write statutory language that preserves local flexibility and reduces administrative burdens.