U.S. Congress Reauthorizes Udall Foundation through Fiscal Year 2029
Posted:
4/15/2024
On Friday, March 22, 2024, and Saturday, March 23, 2024, the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, respectively, passed the second and final fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations package, H.R. 2882, titled the “Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024.” Included in that appropriations package was the “Udall Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2024,” which reauthorized the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall Foundation) through FY 2029.
"The Udall Foundation Board of Trustees is thrilled that Congress has reauthorized the Udall Foundation to continue its work in furtherance of the public service legacies of Morris K. Udall, Stewart L. Udall, and John S. McCain III, after whom the agency and its programs are named," said Lisa Johnson-Billy, Chair of the Board of Trustees.
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) with Udall Foundation Executive Director Dr. David Brown and several members of the Udall Foundation team in Washington, D.C., on March 6, 2024. Photo courtesy of Sen. Kelly's office.
“By reauthorizing the Udall Foundation for the next five and a half years, Congress has explicitly endorsed the value of our work and the positive impact of our Education, National Center, and University of Arizona programs. I believe this to be a proud moment for our agency, our program alumni, and the many partner and stakeholder organizations with which we serve and engage,” said Udall Foundation Executive Director Dr. David Brown.
Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) with Udall Foundation Executive Director Dr. David Brown and several members of the Udall Foundation team in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 2024. Photo courtesy of Rep. Ciscomani's office.
The agency is grateful for the efforts of the original sponsors of the reauthorization legislation, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Representatives Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Melanie Stansbury (D-NM). In addition, eight additional co-sponsors supported the Senate and House legislation including Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Representatives Tom Cole (R-OK), Dave Joyce (R-OH), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK), and Gabe Vasquez (D-NM).
Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) with Udall Foundation Executive Director Dr. David Brown and several members of the Udall Foundation team in Washington, D.C., on March 5, 2024. Photo courtesy of Rep. Stansbury's office.
About the Udall Foundation
The Morris K. Udall Foundation was established by the U.S. Congress in 1992 as an independent executive branch agency to honor Morris K. Udall's lasting impact on this Nation’s environment, public lands, and natural resources, and his support of the rights and self-governance of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. In 2009, Congress enacted legislation to also honor Stewart L. Udall for his half century of distinguished national leadership in environmental and Native American policy. The agency is known today as the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall Foundation) and is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.
The Udall Foundation is authorized by Congress to:
- Award Scholarships, Fellowships, and Internships for study in fields related to the environment and to Native Americans and Alaska Natives in fields related to health care and Tribal public policy.
- Connect youth to the Nation’s public lands and natural resources to foster greater understanding, appreciation, stewardship, and enjoyment of those lands and resources through photography, positive outdoor experiences, and environmental education through the Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus® Program.
- Provide funding to the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy to conduct policy research and outreach on the environment and related themes.
- Provide funding to the Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy, a program of the Udall Center, for research, education, and outreach on Native American and Alaska Native health care issues and Tribal public policy issues.
- Provide funding through the Udall Center to The University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections to serve as the repository for the papers of Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall and other such public papers as may be appropriate and assure such papers' availability to the public.
- Provide impartial collaboration, consensus-building, training, and conflict resolution services on a wide range of environmental, natural and cultural resources, Tribal, and public lands issues, conflicts, and disputes involving the Federal Government through the John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution.
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