Navajo Nation Council logs emergency act 0036-26, advances Apache County committee items

Window Rock - The Navajo Nation Office of Legislative Services logged multiple Council actions between Feb. 17 and Feb. 19, 2026, including emergency act 0036-26, a measure that shifts administrative control of Navajo Nation Fiscal Recovery Fund activity and allows faster reallocation of NNFRF dollars affecting projects that touch Apache County. The logged package centralizes decision-making through a comprehensive Interagency Agreement and moves oversight of the NNFRF Office to the Office of the Controller, according to Council materials.

The Interagency Agreement in the logged measures is presented as a mechanism to "streamline decision-making and simplify processes for all recipient agencies of NNFRF." The Navajo Nation excerpts state that "guidelines prevent changes to the Scope of Work (SOW) or contract terms. However, if the scope of work in the Interagency Agreement is in place, funds can be moved within that framework even after December 31, 2024. This flexibility will allow spending on projects that will benefit the Navajo Nation and meet federal requirements and deadlines."

The legislation also amends resolution CJN-29-22 to accelerate modifications to NNFRF Expenditure Plans and re-assign oversight of the NNFRF Office to the Office of the Controller. Speaker Curley framed the change as administrative and accountability-focused: "For improved program efficiency and to enhance fund monitoring and reporting, the decision has been made to transition the NNFRF office to a new department, ensuring streamlined operations and greater accountability," added Speaker Curley. Council language further details that the agreement "allows the Controller to approve modifications to NNFRF Expenditure Plans administratively. This change speeds up the approval process by removing the need for Standing Committee and Navajo Nation Council approval that could take months."

Budget and Finance Chair Shaandiin Parrish tied the reorganization to federal guidance, saying, "The Treasury changed their guidelines. This agreement consolidates all remaining Navajo Nation funds, ensuring we won’t be sending any money back to the federal government," Parrish said. Navajo Times reporting cited in Council materials noted $5.6 million in NNFRF remained unobligated as of an internal Nov. 1 deadline and that, under Resolution CMY-28-24, unobligated funds "will automatically revert to the Hardship Assistance Program if not obligated through the newly approved interagency agreement."

The Council log links this Feb. 17–19 action to earlier emergency steps: a Dec. 19, 2024 special session recorded a prior emergency bill to obligate $1.86 billion in recovery funds before a federal deadline. Council documents and Navajo Nation excerpts include fragments and truncated passages where full legislative and Interagency Agreement texts are not published in the excerpts provided, leaving precise operational details, including which specific NNFRF projects in Apache County will be reallocated or accelerated, unlisted in the logged materials.

The immediate outcome is procedural: emergency act 0036-26 and the Interagency Agreement reassign administrative authority to the Controller and create internal flexibility around scope-of-work movement after Dec. 31, 2024, while the $5.6 million reversion rule under CMY-28-24 remains in effect. How quickly Apache County projects see budget shifts will depend on the Controller's implementation of the Interagency Agreement and the release of full texts and procedures that operationalize the logged measures.