Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced an upcoming virtual Tribal Consultation on Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records, 42 CFR part 2 (Part 2). This consultation will be held on March 10, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., EST.  The Part 2 Confidentiality Consultation will provide an opportunity for HHS to inform Tribes about the Part 2 regulation and changes, receive comments, and answer questions on these issues. The Part 2 Confidentiality Consultation will furthermore provide a forum for Tribes to collectively share their views and priorities with HHS officials about the federal requirements for confidentiality of SUD patient records. This consultation intends to provide a venue for a two way conversation between Tribal leaders and HHS officials that will lead to recommendations for Part 2 regulatory analysis and proposals.

HHS will also accept written comments for the administrative rulemaking record from Tribes. Comments can be emailed to TribalConsultation@samhsa.hhs.gov.  The consultation record will remain open for 30 days after the Part 2 Confidentiality Consultation. More information can be found in the Dear Tribal Leader Letter.