Redesignates or replaces references to the Director of the Indian Health Service with the Assistant Secretary for Indian Health, modifies reporting language to indicate the Assistant Secretary shall report directly, replaces an incumbency/date-of-enactment reference with a reference to the 'Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act of 2026', adds authority for the Assistant Secretary to appoint a Deputy Assistant Secretary and to employ necessary officers and employees, and adds a provision that the salary of the Assistant Secretary shall be paid from amounts in the Indian Health Services account of the Service.

Replaces wording 'Office of the Director' with 'Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Health' in Section 603(b).

In Section 604(b), in each of paragraphs (2) and (3), replaces references to the 'Office of the Director' with 'Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Health'.

Alters the listing of positions at Executive Schedule level IV by changing the parenthetical number for 'Assistant Secretaries of Health and Human Services' from (6) to (7), effectively increasing that count.

The text of section 5316 is amended by striking specified text (text to be struck not specified in the provided section).