42 CFR § 137.286 - Do Self-Governance Tribes become Federal agencies when they assume these Federal environmental responsibilities?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t42/s137.286"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "42 CFR § 137.286 - Do Self-Governance Tribes become Federal agencies when they assume these Federal environmental responsibilities?"
title_number: 42
title_name: "Public Health"
section_number: "137.286"
section_name: "Do Self-Governance Tribes become Federal agencies when they assume these Federal environmental responsibilities?"
chapter_name: "PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES"
subchapter_number: "M"
subchapter_name: "INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES"
part_number: "137"
part_name: "TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNANCE"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "25 U.S.C. 458"
regulatory_source: "67 FR 35342, May 17, 2002, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "137"
---


# 137.286 Do Self-Governance Tribes become Federal agencies when they assume these Federal environmental responsibilities?

No, while Self-Governance Tribes are required to assume Federal environmental responsibilities for projects in place of the Secretary, Self-Governance Tribes do not thereby become Federal agencies. However, because Self-Governance Tribes are assuming the responsibilities of the Secretary for the purposes of performing these Federal environmental responsibilities, Self-Governance Tribes will be considered the equivalent of Federal agencies for certain purposes as set forth in this subpart.