# [Amended]
**AGENCY:**
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of the Secretary, Interior.
**ACTION:**
Correcting amendments.
**SUMMARY:**
On December 20, 2021, the Department of the Interior (Department) published a final rule to update the regulations governing probate of property that the United States holds in trust or restricted status for American Indians. We are publishing several corrections to that final rule in this document. These corrections are editorial in nature and involve no substantiative changes to any applicable regulations.
**DATES:**
These corrections are effective on June 20, 2023.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Rachel Lukens, Counsel to the Director, Office of Hearings and Appeals, 801 N Quincy Street, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22203; (703) 223-9934; email: *[email protected].* Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services offered within their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
The Department of the Interior finalized updates to its regulations on December 20, 2021 (86 FR 72068) governing probate of property that the United States holds in trust or restricted status for American Indians, in an effort to continually improve the services the Department provides to individual Indians and Tribes. These updates allow the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) to adjudicate probate cases more efficiently. Following publication, the OHA Probate Hearings Division (Ph.D.) realized that, due to the reorganization of the regulations, multiple cross-references within the regulations were now incorrect. In a number of instances editorial changes created ambiguity in the final language. And the final published version does not contain the correct website address for Ph.D. This action makes the necessary editorial corrections to the Department's regulations.
**Administrative Procedure**
We have determined, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), that prior notice and opportunity for public comment are impractical and unnecessary. Public comment could not inform this correction process in any meaningful way. We have further determined that, under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), the agency has good cause to make this rule effective upon publication, as it is important for the proper administration of our programs for our rulemaking documents published in the *Federal Register* to be complete and accurate.
**List of Subjects**
Estates, Indian Law.
Administrative practice and procedure, Claims, Estates, Indians, Lawyers.
For the reasons given in the preamble, the Department amends part 15 of title 25 and part 30 of title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:
**Chapter I—Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior**
**PART 15—PROBATE OF INDIAN ESTATES, EXCEPT FOR MEMBERS OF THE OSAGE NATION AND THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES**
**25 CFR Part 15**
1. The authority citation for part 15 continues to read as follows:
**Authority:**
5 U.S.C. 301; 25 U.S.C. 2, 9, 372-74, 410, 2201 *et seq.;* 44 U.S.C. 3101 *et seq.*
**Subpart C—Preparing the Probate File**
§ 15.202
**25 CFR Part 15**
2. Amend § 15.202, in paragraph (b) introductory text, by adding the word “in” before the phrase “the probate file”.
**Subpart E—Probate Processing and Distribution**
§ 15.404
**25 CFR Part 15**
3. Amend § 15.404, in paragraph (c), by adding the word “a” before the phrase “certification of service”.
§ 15.405
**25 CFR Part 15**
4. Amend § 15.405:
a. In paragraph (a) introductory text, by removing the word “it” and adding in its place the acronym “BIA”; and
b. In paragraph (a)(3), by removing the words “to a” and adding in their place the word “the”.
**PART 30—INDIAN PROBATE HEARINGS PROCEDURES**
**43 CFR Part 30**
5. The authority citation for part 30 continues to read as follows:
**Authority:**
5 U.S.C. 301, 503; 25 U.S.C. 9, 372-74, 410, 2201 *et seq.;* 43 U.S.C. 1201, 1457.
**Subpart A—Scope of Part; Definitions**
**43 CFR Part 30**
6. Amend § 30.100 by revising paragraph (c)(3) to read as follows:
§ 30.100
(c) * * *
(3) §§ 30.183 through 30.189, except for §§ 30.186(a), (b)(2), and (c) and 30.187.
§ 30.101
**43 CFR Part 30**
7. Amend § 30.101, in the definition of “Lineal descendent”, by removing the word “descendent” and adding in its place the word “descendant”.
**Subpart H—Renunciation of Interest**
§ 30.186
**43 CFR Part 30**
8. Amend § 30.186, in paragraph (b)(1), by removing the reference “§ 30.182 or § 30.183” and adding in its place “§ 30.183 or § 30.184”.
**Subpart J—Formal Probate Proceedings**
§ 30.211
**43 CFR Part 30**
9. Amend § 30.211:
a. In paragraph (c), by removing the website address “ *https://www.doi.gov/oha/organization/Ph.D.* ” and adding in its place “ *https://www.doi.gov/oha/organization/PHD* ”.
b. In paragraph (e) introductory text, by removing the phrase “listed in paragraph (e)” and adding in its place “listed in paragraph (f)”; and
c. In paragraph (e)(3), by removing the phrase “listed in paragraph (d)(1) or (2)” and adding in its place “listed in paragraph (e)(1) or (2)”.
§ 30.243
**43 CFR Part 30**
10. Amend § 30.243, in the introductory text, by removing the comma after the words “reopened if”.
§ 30.248
**43 CFR Part 30**
11. Amend § 30.248:
a. In paragraph (a)(5), by removing the reference “§ 30.245(c)” and adding in its place “§ 30.247(c)”.
b. In paragraph (b)(2)(ii), by removing the word “filling” and adding in its place the word “filing”.
**Subpart M—Purchase at Probate**
§ 30.403
**43 CFR Part 30**
12. Amend § 30.403:
a. In paragraph (a) introductory text, by removing the phrase “as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c)” and adding in its place “as provided in paragraph (e)”; and
b. In paragraph (f), by removing the phrase “conditions in paragraph (c)” and add in its place “conditions in paragraph (e)”.
§ 30.413
**43 CFR Part 30**
13. Amend § 30.413, in paragraph (a)(2), by removing the reference “§ 30.403(c)” and adding in its place “§ 30.403(e)”.
§ 30.415
**43 CFR Part 30**
14. Amend § 30.415, in paragraph (a)(3), by removing the word “Any” and adding the words “You are any” in its place.
§ 30.416
**43 CFR Part 30**
15. Amend § 30.416, in the introductory text, by removing the period and adding a colon in its place.
§ 30.417
**43 CFR Part 30**
16. Amend § 30.417, in paragraph (a) introductory text, by removing the acronym “OST” and adding in its place “BTFA”.
This action is taken pursuant to delegated authority.
Bryan Newland,
Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.
Joan M. Mooney,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Exercising the Delegated Authority of the Assistant Secretary—Policy, Management and Budget.