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2630.20.00 HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS

Payments received through the Home Energy Assistance Program (EAP) are exempt. (f24) 2630.25.00 ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN INDIAN TRIBES/ALASKAN NATIVES

The following Section discusses federal law pertaining to Indian tribes and Alaska natives.

P.L. 92-203, section 29, dated 1/2/76, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and Section 15 of P.L. 100-241, 2/3/88, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Amendments of 1987: • All compensation (including cash, stock, partnership interest, land, interest in land, and other benefits) received under this Act are excluded from income and resources.

P.L. 93-134, the Judgment Award Authorization Act, as amended by P.L. 97-458, Section 1407, 11/12/83 and P.L. 98-64, 8/2/83, the Per Capita Distribution Act.

P.L. 97-458: • required the exclusion of per capita payments under the Indian Judgment Fund Act (judgment awards) of $2000 or less from income and resources. The exclusion applies to each payment made to each individual. Initial purchases made with exempt payments distributed between 1/1/82 and 1/12/83 is excluded from resources to the extent that excluded funds were used.

P.L. 98-64: • extended the exclusion to cover per capita payments from funds which are held in trust by the Secretary of Interior (trust fund distributions).

P.L. 93-531, Section 22: • Relocation assistance payments to members of the Navajo and Hopi Tribes are excluded from income and resources.

P.L. 94-114, Section 6 • Income derived from certain sub marginal land held in trust for certain Indian tribes is excluded from income and resources. The tribes that may benefit are: o Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin o Blackfeet Tribe o Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma o Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe o Crow Creek Sioux Tribe o Lower Brule Sioux Tribe o Devils Lake Sioux Tribe o Fort Belknap Indian Community o Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes o Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians o Keweenaw Bay Indian Community o Minnesota Chippewa Tribe