Skip to main content

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Jump To:

Recent Reports

View More Reports

Open Recommendations (22 total)

Oil and Gas: Bureau of Indian Affairs Could Improve Lease Management of Trust and Restricted Land

GAO-25-106307
Show
6 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Director of BIA should provide greater specificity in current guidance or develop additional policy or guidance for BIA offices related to their responsibilities for bonding including setting initial bond amounts for lessees, when and how to increase existing bond amounts, collecting bonds, and requiring bonds for non-lessee operators. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Director of BIA should compile comprehensive bond information for oil and gas leases—including bond amounts, bond types, and leases covered by each bond—and develop and implement an approach to maintain a record of bond information over time. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Director of BIA, to help ensure that bond amounts are sufficient to meet their intended purpose, should provide information to Tribes on options for tailoring bond amounts to their needs, including mechanisms to require bond amounts higher than the regulatory minimum. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Director of BIA should establish a policy for bond reviews that includes clear guidance on the frequency of reviews or specific triggers for reviews and factors to be included in reviews. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Director of BIA should compile comprehensive information on bond claims for oil and gas leases and develop and implement an approach to maintain a record of bond claims over time. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Director of BIA should, in consultation with Tribes, assess its bond requirements to determine if they are sufficient to ensure lessees do not abandon wells and make changes, accordingly, to guidance or regulations, including considering if changes are needed to minimum bond amounts. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Indian Affairs: Additional Actions Needed to Address Long-standing Challenges with Workforce Capacity

GAO-25-106825
Show
3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs should track vacancy data across Indian Affairs in a systematic and centralized manner. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs should identify skills, knowledge, and competency gaps in mission-critical occupations across Indian Affairs. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs should, by March 2027, collect lessons learned regarding the use and sufficiency of funds for administrative costs associated with legislation that provides funds for Tribes outside of baseline appropriations and share these lessons with Interior and Congress. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Indian Affairs: Additional Actions Needed to Address Long-standing Challenges with Workforce Capacity

GAO-25-106825
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Bureau of Indian Affairs The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs should develop a proposal that identifies capacity-building opportunities and the resources necessary to pursue them and share the proposal with Interior for consideration. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
View More Recommendations

Related Pages