Notice2024-06519
Proposed Appointments to the National Indian Gaming Commission
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 26, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior Department
Abstract
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act provides for a three-person National Indian Gaming Commission. One member, the Chair, is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Two associate members are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. Before appointing members, the Secretary is required to provide public notice of a proposed appointment and allow a comment period. Notice is hereby given of the proposed appointment of Jean Hovland and Sharon Avery as associate members of the National Indian Gaming Commission for a term of 3 years.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 59 (Tuesday, March 26, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20997-20998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06519]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
[24xd5141GM, DGM000000.000000, DN18000000]
Proposed Appointments to the National Indian Gaming Commission
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act provides for a three-person
National Indian Gaming Commission. One member, the Chair, is appointed
by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Two
associate members are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior.
Before appointing members, the Secretary is required to provide public
notice of a proposed appointment and allow a comment period. Notice is
hereby given of the proposed appointment of Jean Hovland and Sharon
Avery as associate members of the National Indian Gaming Commission for
a term of 3 years.
DATES: Submit comments on or before April 25, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to the Director, Office of the Executive
Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior,
1849 C Street NW, Mail Stop 7328, Washington, DC 20240; or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d4909b9d91acb1b787b1b794bdbba7fab0bbbdfab3bba2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="12565d5b576a7771417771527b7d613c767d7b3c757d64">[email protected]</span></a> with NIGC Appointment Comment in the subject
line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dustin Thomas, National Indian
Gaming Commission, c/o Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW,
Mail Stop 1621, Washington, DC 20240; telephone (202) 632-7003;
facsimile (202) 632-7066.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C.
2701 et seq., established the
[[Page 20998]]
National Indian Gaming Commission (Commission), composed of three full-
time members. Commission members serve for a term of 3 years. The Chair
is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the
Senate. The two associate members are appointed by the Secretary of the
Interior. Before appointing an associate member to the Commission, the
Secretary is required to ``publish in the Federal Register the name and
other information the Secretary deems pertinent regarding a nominee for
membership on the Commission and . . . allow a period of not less than
thirty days for receipt of public comments.'' See 25 U.S.C.
2704(b)(2)(B).
The Secretary proposes to appoint Jean Hovland and Sharon Avery as
associate members of the Commission for terms of 3 years. Ms. Hovland
and Ms. Avery are well qualified to be members of the National Indian
Gaming Commission by virtue of their extensive background and
experience in a broad spectrum of Native American issues.
Ms. Hovland is an enrolled member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux
Tribe of South Dakota. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the
National Indian Gaming Commission. Hovland began her three-year term at
the agency on January 17, 2021, after being appointed by the Secretary
of the Interior. Since joining the Commission, she has worked
collaboratively with the Commission to consult with tribes for the
promulgation of regulations and to coordinate the agency's regulatory
responsibilities with tribal regulatory authorities. She also served as
the Director of the NIGC Office of Self-Regulation from May 2021
through July 2023. Ms. Hovland has provided extensive outreach and
education about combating human trafficking in the Indian Gaming
industry and has devoted much of her time to outreach efforts, meeting
with tribal leaders, regulatory authorities, and gaming operations on
Indian Lands on the effective regulation of Indian Gaming.
Ms. Hovland served as Commissioner of the Administration for Native
Americans and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Affairs at
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As Commissioner, Ms.
Hovland provides effective oversight of a $57 million annual operating
budget to promote self-sufficiency for Native Americans. She provides
executive leadership of a diverse staff of 30 employees and four
regional training and technical assistant centers. During her time at
HHS, Ms. Hovland created a $1 million funding opportunity designed to
strengthen internal governance structures and capacity for tribes and
tribal organizations. She also reestablished and Chairs the HHS
Secretary's Intradepartmental Council on Native American Affairs,
comprised of leadership across the Department.
In her role as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American
Affairs for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a large
and diverse program office with an $8 billion annual operating budget,
over 1700 employees, and 10 regional offices, Ms. Hovland provides
expert and culturally appropriate advice to the Assistant Secretary in
the formulation of policy views, positions, and strategies affecting
Native Americans. She serves as the key liaison and representative of
all ACF program and staff offices on behalf of the Assistant Secretary
related to tribal and Native American Affairs.
Prior to her appointment at HHS, Ms. Hovland served as senior
advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department
of the Interior. Ms. Hovland has also served as the tribal affairs
advisor to Senator John Thune for more than 12 years. She played a key
role in advocating for legislation at the request of Indian tribes on
such issues as agriculture, services for law enforcement and veterans,
and quality access to healthcare. She worked to develop legislation,
such as the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 and the Code Talker
Recognition Act of 2008.
Prior to her time in public service, Hovland was CEO of Wanji
Native Nations Consultants, which offered training services for Tribal
programs and Tribal governments.
Ms. Hovland does not have any financial interests that would make
her ineligible to serve on the Commission under 25 U.S.C. 2704(b)(5)(B)
or (C).
Ms. Sharon Avery is an enrolled member of the Saginaw Chippewa
Tribe of Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University College
of Law with a Juris Doctor degree and a certificate from the Indigenous
Law and Policy Center. She has intimate familiarity with issues that
impact tribal communities and the desire and willingness to learn more
about those issues from those who are directly impacted by them.
Ms. Avery is currently serving as an Associate General Counsel for
the National Indian Gaming Commission's Office of General Counsel and
has served in this capacity since January 2020. In this role she has
gained familiarity with the agency's structure and the important role
the agency plays within the tribal gaming industry. She has worked
extensively reviewing gaming ordinances, financing agreements,
sportsbook agreements, participated in tribal consultations for
regulatory changes and worked on management contract reviews.
Prior to joining the National Indian Gaming Commission, Ms. Avery
worked in the Legal Department of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of
Michigan for 10 years. Ms. Avery held several roles while working for
the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. She began as an
Associate General Counsel, worked her way up to Senior Associate
General Counsel and then held the position of General Counsel for
Tribal Operations.
During her time working as in-house counsel, she worked on many
projects and gained valuable perspective from working for a tribal
government. As Associate General Counsel and Senior Associate General
Counsel, she reviewed gaming and entertainment contracts, worked with
the Department of Justice and tribal departments to implement the Sex
Offender Registration and Notification Act requirements, reviewed
tribal grants, worked extensively on personnel policies and procedures,
reviewed various types of agreements for both the Tribe and the Tribe's
enterprises, and drafted and amended tribal codes.
As General Counsel for Tribal Operations, Ms. Avery managed the
Tribe's in-house legal department which included developing and
overseeing the annual departmental budget, assigning and supervising
work product, providing regular updates to the Tribal Council and
represented the Tribe on many long-term projects.
In serving the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan and the
National Indian Gaming Commission, Ms. Avery is most proud of the
teamwork she has been a part of and assisting in building the teams
that support both organizations.
Ms. Avery does not have any financial interests that would make her
ineligible to serve on the Commission under 25 U.S.C. 2704(b)(5)(B) or
(C).
Any person wishing to submit comments on the proposed appointments
of Jean Hovland and Sharon Avery may submit written comments to the
address listed above. Comments must be received by April 25, 2024.
(Authority: 25 U.S.C. 2704(b)(2)(B))
Deb Haaland,
Secretary of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 2024-06519 Filed 3-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7565-01-P
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