WASHINGTON, USA — The US Department of the Treasury announced that it has distributed more than $13.1 billion to Tribal governments through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) established by the American Rescue Plan.
This represents the disbursement of over 65 percent of the $20 billion in funding appropriated for Tribal governments in the American Rescue Plan under the SLFRF, a key milestone in the whole-of government effort to help communities fight the pandemic, address its economic fallout, and lay the groundwork for a strong recovery.
“The distribution of recovery funds to Tribal governments is a critical part of the Biden-Harris administration’s push to address deep-rooted inequalities in our nation and economic system — and lay the foundation for an equitable recovery in the wake of the pandemic,” said chief recovery officer Jacob Leibenluft.
“These funds can be used to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and deliver support to populations and communities that may have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”
The Office of Recovery Programs spearheaded a multi-pronged outreach effort that informed the methodology for distributing these funds, including hosting five Tribal consultations to garner input from Tribal leaders on allocation methodologies.
With disbursement of the first 65 percent of funds, Treasury now moves into its second phase of distribution. Today, Treasury announced the opening of this process which will disburse $6.65 billion to Tribal governments based on employment. Additionally, Treasury announced the establishment of a $1 million minimum for all Tribal governments in recognition of the importance of employment to the delivery of Tribal government essential services.
The minimum allocation will provide a meaningful amount of funding to every Tribe to address the pandemic’s effect in each Tribal community. Disbursement of the remaining tribal set aside is vital to an equitable and strong economic recovery for all Tribal communities, and Treasury looks forward to final deployment of this historic fund in support of that goal.