The Department of the Interior and the Alaska Department of Health have entered into a new agreement aimed at improving probate services for Alaska Native communities. The memorandum of understanding was signed during a visit to Alaska by Deputy Secretary Kate MacGregor and Governor Mike Dunleavy.
The agreement is designed to address ongoing challenges related to a backlog of probate cases affecting Alaska Native beneficiaries. It seeks to enhance coordination between federal and state agencies, with a focus on providing timely and accurate processing of probate cases.
“Interior is working hard to make a measurable improvement to the longstanding probate backlog so Alaskan native families can receive the property that rightfully belongs to them,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “This agreement creates a clearer, more efficient process that will reduce delays, set target timelines and ensures that assets can be returned to families more quickly and with greater accuracy.”
A key component of the agreement involves improved access for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to vital records held by the Alaska Division of Public Health’s Health Analytics and Vital Records Section. These records are necessary for preparing probate case files used in determining trust estates for Alaska Native individuals.
“Ensuring timely access to vital records is an important part of supporting Alaska Native families as probate cases move forward,” said Heidi Hedberg, Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health. “Improving how these records are requested and processed helps provide families with the clarity and resolution they need.”
Under this new framework, both parties will work together to streamline requests for vital records needed in developing BIA probate cases. They also plan to agree on specific processing timelines, identify ways to support increased demand for record requests, and develop further agreements such as data sharing arrangements that comply with privacy laws.
The collaboration aims at making it easier for affected families in Alaska Native communities to resolve inheritance matters efficiently while respecting both federal and state requirements.
