---
kind: "section"
citation: "25 U.S.C. § 1616c"
title: "25"
title_heading: "Indians"
number: "1616c"
heading: "Tribal recruitment and retention program"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/25/1616c"
units:
  - "Chapter 18 — Indian Health Care"
  - "Subchapter I — Indian Health Professional Personnel"
---

# §1616c. Tribal recruitment and retention program

- (a) **Projects funded on competitive basis—** The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17), acting through the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18), shall fund, on a competitive basis, projects to enable [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and tribal and [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) organizations to recruit, place, and retain health professionals to meet the staffing needs of [Indian health programs](/usc/25/1603.md?p=12) (as defined in [section 1616a(a)(2) of this title](/usc/25/1616a.md?p=a-2)).
- (b) **Eligibility—**
  - (1) Any [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or tribal or [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) organization may submit an application for funding of a project pursuant to this section.
  - (2) [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and tribal and [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) organizations under the authority of the [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) Self-Determination Act [[25 U.S.C. 5321](/usc/25/5321.md) et seq.] shall be given an equal opportunity with programs that are administered directly by the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) to compete for, and receive, grants under [subsection (a)](#a) for such projects.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 94–437, title I, § 110, as added Pub. L. 100–713, title I, § 108, Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4794; amended Pub. L. 102–573, title I, § 117(b)(4), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4544.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Indian Self-Determination Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is title I of Pub. L. 93–638, Jan. 4, 1975, 88 Stat. 2206, which is classified principally to subchapter I (§ 5321 et seq.) of chapter 46 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5301 of this title and Tables.

### Amendments

1992—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–573 struck out subsec. (c) which authorized appropriations for fiscal years 1990 to 1992.