---
kind: "section"
citation: "25 U.S.C. § 5386"
title: "25"
title_heading: "Indians"
number: "5386"
heading: "General provisions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/25/5386"
units:
  - "Chapter 46 — Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance"
  - "Subchapter V — Tribal Self-Governance—indian Health Service"
---

# §5386. General provisions

- (a) **Applicability—** The provisions of this section shall apply to compacts and funding agreements negotiated under this subchapter and an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) may, at its option, include provisions that reflect such requirements in a compact or funding agreement.
- (b) **Conflicts of interest—** [Indian tribes](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) participating in [self-governance](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-7) under this subchapter shall ensure that internal measures are in place to address conflicts of interest in the administration of [self-governance](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-7) programs, services, functions, or activities (or portions thereof).
- (c) **Audits—**
  - (1) **Single Agency Audit Act—** The provisions of [chapter 75](/usc/31/chstV/ch75.md) of title 31 requiring a single agency audit report shall apply to funding agreements under this subchapter.
  - (2) **Cost principles—** An [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) shall apply cost principles under the applicable Office of Management and Budget circular, except as modified by [section 5325 of this title](/usc/25/5325.md)[^1] other provisions of law, or by any exemptions to applicable Office of Management and Budget circulars subsequently granted by the Office of Management and Budget. No other audit or accounting standards shall be required by the [Secretary](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-6). Any claim by the Federal Government against the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) relating to funds received under a funding agreement based on any audit under this subsection shall be subject to the provisions of [section 5325(f) of this title](/usc/25/5325.md?p=f).
- (d) **Records—**
  - (1) **In general—** Unless an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) specifies otherwise in the compact or funding agreement, records of the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) shall not be considered Federal records for purposes of chapter 5 of title 5.
  - (2) **Recordkeeping system—** The [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) shall maintain a recordkeeping system, and, after 30 days advance notice, provide the [Secretary](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-6) with reasonable access to such records to enable the Department of Health and Human Services to meet its minimum legal recordkeeping system requirements under sections 3101 through 3106 of title 44.
- (e) **Redesign and consolidation—** An [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) may redesign or consolidate programs, services, functions, and activities (or portions thereof) included in a funding agreement under [section 5385 of this title](/usc/25/5385.md) and reallocate or redirect funds for such programs, services, functions, and activities (or portions thereof) in any manner which the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) deems to be in the best interest of the health and welfare of the [Indian](/usc/25/5304.md?p=d) community being served, only if the redesign or consolidation does not have the effect of denying eligibility for services to population groups otherwise eligible to be served under applicable Federal law.
- (f) **Retrocession—** An [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) may retrocede, fully or partially, to the [Secretary](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-6) programs, services, functions, or activities (or portions thereof) included in the compact or funding agreement. Unless the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) rescinds the request for retrocession, such retrocession will become effective within the timeframe specified by the parties in the compact or funding agreement. In the absence of such a specification, such retrocession shall become effective on—
  - (1) the earlier of—
    - (A) 1 year after the date of submission of such request; or
    - (B) the date on which the funding agreement expires; or
  - (2) such date as may be mutually agreed upon by the [Secretary](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-6) and the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b).
- (g) **Withdrawal—**
  - (1) **Process—**
    - (A) **In general—** An [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) may fully or partially withdraw from a participating [inter-tribal consortium](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-5) or tribal organization its share of any program, function, service, or activity (or portions thereof) included in a compact or funding agreement.
    - (B) **Effective date—** The withdrawal referred to in [subparagraph (A)](#g-1-A) shall become effective within the timeframe specified in the resolution which authorizes transfer to the participating tribal organization or [inter-tribal consortium](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-5). In the absence of a specific timeframe set forth in the resolution, such withdrawal shall become effective on—
      - (i) the earlier of—
        - (I) 1 year after the date of submission of such request; or
        - (II) the date on which the funding agreement expires; or
      - (ii) such date as may be mutually agreed upon by the [Secretary](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-6), the withdrawing [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b), and the participating tribal organization or [inter-tribal consortium](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-5) that has signed the compact or funding agreement on behalf of the withdrawing [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b), [inter-tribal consortium](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-5), or tribal organization.
  - (2) **Distribution of funds—** When an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) or tribal organization eligible to enter into a [self-determination contract](/usc/25/5304.md?p=j) under subchapter I of this chapter or a compact or funding agreement under this subchapter fully or partially withdraws from a participating [inter-tribal consortium](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-5) or tribal organization—
    - (A) the withdrawing [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) or tribal organization shall be entitled to its [tribal share](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-8) of funds supporting those programs, services, functions, or activities (or portions thereof) that the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) will be carrying out under its own [self-determination contract](/usc/25/5304.md?p=j) or compact and funding agreement (calculated on the same basis as the funds were initially allocated in the funding agreement of the [inter-tribal consortium](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-5) or tribal organization); and
    - (B) the funds referred to in [subparagraph (A)](#g-2-A) shall be transferred from the funding agreement of the [inter-tribal consortium](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-5) or tribal organization, on the condition that the provisions of sections [5321](/usc/25/5321.md) and [5324(i)](/usc/25/5324.md?p=i) of this title, as appropriate, shall apply to that withdrawing [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b).
  - (3) **Regaining mature contract status—** If an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) elects to operate all or some programs, services, functions, or activities (or portions thereof) carried out under a compact or funding agreement under this subchapter through a [self-determination contract](/usc/25/5304.md?p=j) under subchapter I of this chapter, at the option of the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b), the resulting [self-determination contract](/usc/25/5304.md?p=j) shall be a mature [self-determination contract](/usc/25/5304.md?p=j).
- (h) **Nonduplication—** For the period for which, and to the extent to which, funding is provided under this subchapter or under the compact or funding agreement, the [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) shall not be entitled to contract with the [Secretary](/usc/25/5381.md?p=a-6) for such funds under [section 5321 of this title](/usc/25/5321.md), except that such [Indian tribe](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b) shall be eligible for new programs on the same basis as other [Indian tribes](/usc/25/5381.md?p=b).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–638, title V, § 506, as added Pub. L. 106–260, § 4, Aug. 18, 2000, 114 Stat. 717.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Subchapter I of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (g)(2), (3), was in the original “title I”, meaning title I of Pub. L. 93–638, known as the Indian Self-Determination Act, which is classified principally to subchapter I (§ 5321 et seq.) of this chapter. For complete classification of title I to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5301 of this title and Tables.

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 458aaa–5 of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.