territory presently subject to the reassumption of jurisdiction and shall state the date on which the reassumption becomes effective. A copy of the notice shall immediately be sent to the petitioning tribe and to the attorney general, governor and highest court of the affected State or States.

(c) Reasons for disapproval of a petition shall be sent immediately to the petitioning tribe or tribes.

(d) When a petition has been disapproved a tribe or tribes may repetition after taking action to overcome the deficiencies of the first petition.

§ 13.15 Administrative appeals.

The decision of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs may be appealed under procedures established in 43 CFR 4.350-4.369.1

§ 13.16 Technical assistance after dis

approval.

If a petition is disapproved, the Bureau shall immediately offer technical assistance to the tribal governing body for the purpose of overcoming the defect in the petition or plan that resulted in the disapproval.

1 Sections 4.350-4.369 of 43 CFR part 4, were removed at 46 FR 7335, Jan. 23, 1981.

15.101 How do I begin the BIA probate process?

15.102 May I notify the BIA of a death if I am not related to the decedent? 15.103 When should the BIA be notified of a death?

15.104 What other documents does the BIA need to process a probate package? 15.105 Will the BIA wait to begin the probate process until it is notified of the decedent's death?

15.106 Can I get emergency assistance for

funeral services from the decedent's IIM account?

15.107 Who prepares an Indian probate package?

15.108 What agency prepares the probate

package if the decedent was not an enrolled member of a tribe or is a member of more than one tribe?

15.109

Can a probable heir or beneficiary give up his/her interest in trust or restricted lands or trust funds?

Subpart C-Preparing the Probate
Package

15.201 What will the BIA do with the documents that I provide?

15.202 What must the complete probate package contain?

15.203 What happens after the BIA prepares the probate package?

15.204 After the probate package has been

sent to a BIA deciding official, may I still request a formal hearing with an ALJ?

15.205 When will the BIA refer a probate to the OHA?

15.206 Is there a summary process for distributing an estate with only trust cash assets?

Subpart D-Probate Processing, Claims and Distributions

15.301 What does the attorney decision maker do with the probate package?

15.302 What law is used by the deciding official to determine the distribution of the trust estate?

15.303 If the decedent owed me money, how do I file a claim against the estate? 15.304 How does the BIA deciding official determine if a claim will be allowed and paid?

15.305 What claims will be paid first? 15.306 Can the BIA deciding official reduce the amount of claims?

15.307 What if there is not enough money in the decedent's IIM account to pay all claims?

15.308 Will the BIA use future income to pay claims?

15.309 Will the BIA deciding official authorize payment of interest or penalties accruing after the date of death? 15.310 When will the BIA deciding official issue a decision on the probate? 15.311 What is in the written decision/order of the BIA deciding official? 15.312 What happens after the decision is made?

Subpart E-Appeals

15.401 May I appeal the decision of the BIA deciding official?

15.402 How do I file an appeal of the decision/order?

15.403 How long do I have to file an appeal? 15.404 What will happen to the estate if an appeal is filed?

15.405 How does the ALJ review a decision issued by a BIA deciding official?

Subpart F-Information and Records

15.501 If I have a question about a probate that has been assigned to a BIA deciding official, may I contact the deciding official directly?

15.502 How can I find out the status of a probate?

15.503 Who owns the records associated with this part?

15.504 How must records associated with this part be preserved?

AUTHORITY: Secs. 1, 2, 36 Stat. 855, as amended, 856, as amended, sec. 1, 38 Stat. 588, 42 Stat. 1185, as amended, secs. 1, 2, 56 Stat. 1021, 1022, 25 U.S.C. 372, 373, 374, 373a, 373b; Federal Records Act, as amended, 44 U.S.C. §3101, et seq. (1950).

CROSS REFERENCE: For special rules applying to proceedings in Indian Probate (Determination of Heirs and Approval of Wills, Except for Members of the Five Civilized Tribes and Osage Indians), including hearings and appeals within the jurisdiction of the Office of Hearings and Appeals, see Title 43, Code of

Federal Regulations, Part 4, Subpart D; Funds of deceased Indians other than the Five Civilized Tribes, see Title 25 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 115.

SOURCE: 66 FR 7089, Jan. 22, 2001, unless otherwise noted.

Subpart A-Introduction

§ 15.1 What is the purpose of this part?

This part contains the procedures that the Secretary follows to initiate the probate of the trust estate of a deceased individual Indian who owned trust or restricted property. This part tells you how to file the necessary documents to probate the trust estate. This part also describes how probates will be processed by the BIA, and how probates may be sent to the OHA for disposition.

§15.2 What terms do I need to know?

ALJ means an administrative law judge or other employee of the Department of the Interior's Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) upon whom authority has been conferred by the Secretary to conduct hearings in accordance with 43 CFR Part 4 Subpart D.

BIA means the Bureau of Indian Affairs within the Department of the Interior.

IIM account means Individual Indian Money Account.

LTRO means the Land Titles and Records Office within the BIA.

OHA means the Hearings Division, Office of Hearings and Appeals, Department of the Interior.

OTFM means the Office of Trust Funds Management, within the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, Department of the Interior, or its authorized representative.

Agency means the agency office or any other designated office in the BIA having jurisdiction over trust or restricted property and money. This term also means any office of a tribe which has contracted or compacted the BIA probate function under 25 U.S.C. § 450f or 25 U.S.C. §458cc.

Attorney decision maker means an attorney with the BIA, who reviews a probate package, determines heirs, approves wills and beneficiaries of the will, determines creditors claims, and issues a written decision.

Beneficiary means any individual who receives trust or restricted property or money in a decedent's will.

Day means a calendar day, unless otherwise stated.

Decedent means a person who is deceased.

Deciding official means the official with the delegated authority to make a decision on a probate matter, and may include a BIA regional director, agency superintendent, field representative, or attorney decision maker (BIA deciding official); or an OHA ALJ or other OHA designated official (OHA deciding official).

Decision/order means a written document issued by the deciding official determining heirs, approving wills and beneficiaries of the will, approving creditors claims, and ordering distribution of property and money.

Domicile means the legal residence of the person.

Estate means the trust cash assets, restricted or trust lands owned by the decedent at the time of his death.

Form OHA-7 means a form issued by the OHA which lists data for heirship and family history, and provides information on any wills, trust and restricted property, adoptions, names and addresses of all interested parties.

Heir means any individual who receives trust or restricted property or money from a decedent in an intestate proceeding.

IIM account means funds held in an individual Indian monies account by the OTFM or a tribe performing this function under a contract or compact.

Interested parties means any probable or actual heir, any beneficiary under a will, any party asserting a claim against a deceased Indian's estate, and any tribe having a statutory option to purchase the trust or restricted property interest of a decedent.

Intestate means the decedent died without a will.

Minor means an individual that has not reached age of majority as defined by the applicable tribal or state law.

Probate means the legal process by which applicable tribal law, state law, or federal law that affects the distribution of the decedent's estate is applied to: (1) determine the heirs; (2) approve wills and beneficiaries; and (3) transfer

any funds held in trust by the Secretary for a decedent to the heirs, beneficiaries, or other persons or entities entitled by law.

Probate clerk means a BIA or tribal employee who is responsible for processing a probate package.

Probate specialist means the BIA or tribal employee who is trained in Indian probate matters.

Restricted land means land the title to which is held by an individual Indian or a tribe and which can only be alienated or encumbered by the owner with the approval of the Secretary because of limitations contained in the conveyance instrument pursuant to federal law.

Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior or an authorized representative.

Superintendent or Field Representative means an authorized representative of the Secretary of the Interior who is the officer in charge of a BIA agency or field office.

Testate means the decedent executed a will before his death.

Trust cash assets means the funds held in an IIM account.

Trust land means the land, or an interest therein, for which the United States holds fee title in trust for the benefit of an individual Indian.

Vendor or Creditor means any individual or company who submits a claim for payment from a decedent's estate.

We/Us means either an official of the BIA or a tribe performing probate functions under a BIA contract or compact.

Will means a written testamentary document, including any properly executed written changes, called codicils, which was signed by the decedent and was attested by two disinterested adult witnesses, that states who will receive the decedent's trust or restricted property.

You/I means an interested party, as defined herein, with an interest in the decedent's estate unless a specific section says otherwise.

§ 15.3 Will the Secretary probate all the property in Indian estates?

(a) No. We will probate only the trust or restricted property in the estate of an Indian decedent.

(b) We will not probate:

(1) Real or personal property in an estate of an Indian decedent that is not trust or restricted property;

(2) Restricted property derived from allotments in the estates of members of the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole) in Oklahoma; and

(3) Restricted interests derived from allotments made to Osage Indians in Oklahoma (Osage Nation) and Osage headright interests.

(c) We will probate the estate of a deceased member of the Five Civilized Tribes or Osage Nation who owns an interest in land derived from an individual Indian other than the Five Civilized Tribes or Osage Nation.

$15.4 How does the probate process work?

The basic steps of the probate process

are:

(a) We find out about a person's death (see subpart B for details);

(b) We prepare a probate package which includes documents that you send us (see subpart C for details);

(c) We refer the completed probate package to a deciding official in the BIA or the OHA (see subpart D for details);

(d) The deciding official decides how to distribute the property and/or funds deposited in an IIM account (see subparts D and E for details).

Subpart B-Starting the Probate Process

§ 15.101 How do I begin the BIA probate process?

As soon as possible you should contact the nearest BIA agency or regional office where the decedent was enrolled to inform us of the decedent's death. You must provide a certified copy of the death certificate, if one exists. If a death certificate does not exist, you may provide one or more of the following:

(a) A copy of the obituary notice from a local newspaper; or

(b) Any other document that we accept that verifies the death, such as a church record or a court record; and

(c) An affidavit of death prepared by the tribe with whom the decedent was

$15.102 May I notify the BIA of a death if I am not related to the decedent?

Yes. You do not need to be related to the decedent in order to notify us of the death. You can be a friend, neighbor, or any other interested party.

$15.103 When should the BIA be notified of a death?

There is no deadline for notifying us of a death. However, you should notify us of a death as soon as possible after the person dies.

§15.104 What other documents does the BIA need to process a probate package?

(a) You should provide us with the following documents and information before we can begin to process the probate package.

(1) Social Security number of the decedent;

(2) The birth certificate or other record of birth of the decedent;

(3) All death records including those listed in §15.101;

(4) A list of known creditors against the estate and their addresses;

(5) Current names and addresses of potential heirs and beneficiaries;

(6) Any statements renouncing an interest in the estate;

(7) Documents from a court of competent jurisdiction, including but not limited to:

(i) All marriage licenses of the decedent;

(ii) All divorce decrees of the decedent;

(iii) Adoption and guardianship records relevant to the decedent;

(iv) Any sworn statements regarding the decedent's family, including any statements of paternity or maternity; (v) Any name changes; and

(vi) Order requiring payment of child support;

(8) All original or certified copies of wills and codicils, and any revocations; and

(9) Any additional documents you provide or that we request.

(b) You must inform us if any of the documents or information identified in this part are not available.

§ 15.105 Will the BIA wait to begin the probate process until it is notified of the decedent's death?

No. We may find out about the death of a person without being notified by an interested party. If we do, and if the decedent meets the criteria in §15.3, we will initiate the process to collect the necessary documentation. You should not assume that we will find out about a death. To assure timely distribution of the estate, you should notify us as provided in § 15.101.

§ 15.106 Can I get emergency assistance for funeral services from the decedent's IIM account?

(a) If you are responsible for making the funeral arrangements on behalf of the family of a decedent who had an IIM account and you have an immediate need to pay for funeral arrangements prior to burial, you may make a request to the BIA for up to $1,000 from the decedent's IIM account if the decedent's IIM account has more than $2,500 in the account at the date of death.

(b) You must apply for this assistance and submit to the BIA an original itemized estimate of the cost of the service to be rendered and the identification of the service provider.

(c) We may approve reasonable costs up to $1,000 that are necessary for the burial services, taking into consideration the total amount in the account, the number of probable heirs or beneficiaries of whom we are aware, the amount of any claims against the account of which we are aware, and any other relevant factor.

(d) We will make payments directly to the providers of the services.

$15.107 Who prepares an Indian probate package?

The probate specialist or probate clerk at the agency or tribe where the decedent is an enrolled member will prepare the probate package in consultation with the probable heirs or beneficiaries who can be located.