Tribes now have access to more federal funds thanks to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, better known as the CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27.
The CARES Act sets aside $8 billion for tribal governments that need economic relief from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The funds will be distributed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The U.S. Department of Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, is setting up calls to consult with tribes about how to allocate the funding.
Those calls will take place at 9 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time on April 2 and April 9. The phone number is 888-950-5924 and the participant code is 1682452. If tribes cannot make the call, they can email their comments to consultation@bia.gov or tribal.consult@treasury.gov until April 13. The funds are set to be distributed by April 26.