The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior (Department) announced today that the public comment period for a proposed rule to acknowledge tribes has been extended to September 30, 2014.  This 60-day extension is to accommodate the numerous requests that the Department has received from the public and Congress to allow more time for comments before the rule is finalized.  This proposed rule revises and expedites the process for the federal government to recognize new tribes.  In addition to the comment period extension, the Department also announced two new additional public meetings to discuss the proposed rule.  The meetings will be held by conference call on September 3rd and 5th from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. PDT at (888) 323-4307.  Participant passcode for the call is 4823348. Transcripts of all tribal consultations and public meetings will be posted on the Indian Affairs website, accessed here.