Dear Tribal Leader Letter sent to Tribal Leaders on May 10, 2021

Summary

A Dear Tribal Leader letter from the U.S. Department of the Treasury dated May 10, 2021, announcing the launch of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act. It states that the program provides $350 billion in emergency funding for eligible state, local, territorial and Tribal governments, and that Treasury released an Interim Final Rule describing eligible uses, including responding to acute pandemic-response needs, filling revenue shortfalls and supporting the communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis. It goes on to explain how eligible Tribal governments can request funding.

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Full text

May 10, 2021

Dear Tribal Leader,

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("Treasury") announced the launch of the Coronavirus State
and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (“Act”). The
initiative provides $350 billion in emergency funding for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal
governments to help turn the tide on the pandemic, address its economic fallout, and lay the foundation
for a strong and equitable recovery.

Treasury also released the Interim Final Rule ("IFR") for the program that describes eligible uses of
funding. These include responding to acute pandemic-response needs, filling revenue shortfalls, and
supporting the communities and populations hardest-hit by the COVID-19 crisis. With the launch of the
program, eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments will be able to request funding from
Treasury to address these needs.

This email describes how your Tribal government may obtain funding through this program.

The Act allocates $20 billion to Tribal governments, directing that (i) $1 billion is to be allocated equally
among eligible Tribal governments and (ii) $19 billion is to be allocated to Tribal governments in a
manner determined by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Treasury has developed the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Tribal Government
Allocation Methodology, which incorporates important feedback that Tribal leaders shared during five
Treasury-hosted Tribal consultations in late March and early April of 2021. In these consultations,
Treasury requested and received input from Tribal leaders regarding the program’s allocation
methodology, use of funds, and administrative activities such as reporting and compliance.

Of the $19 billion that the Act directs Treasury to allocate, Treasury’s allocation methodology provides
that 65% of these funds, or $12.35 billion, will be distributed based on pro rata, self-certified Tribal
enrollment ("Enrollment Allocation"). Treasury will distribute the remaining 35% of these funds, or
$6.65 billion, based on pro rata, self-certified Tribal employment data (“Employment Allocation”).

Treasury will use self-certified enrollment numbers submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in April
2021 for the Enrollment Allocations. For the Employment Allocation, Treasury will use the 2019
employment numbers submitted to Treasury in May 2020 in connection with the CARES Act Coronavirus
Relief Fund and will require that Tribal governments confirm these numbers.

Tribal Payment Structure
Treasury will make two payments to eligible Tribal governments.

First Payment:

Each Tribal government’s first payment will include (i) an amount in respect of the $1 billion allocation
that is to be divided equally among eligible Tribal governments and (ii) each Tribal government’s pro
rata share of the Enrollment Allocation.
To receive the first payment, Tribal governments must submit their information online through the
Treasury Submission Portal, which can be accessed here. After a Tribal government’s submission is
received, it will take approximately 4-5 business days to review and process. The point of contact that a
Tribal government designates in its online submission will receive status updates. Once the information
and documentation submitted is determined to be complete and accurate, this point of contact will
receive information regarding the timing and amount of the first payment. Tribal governments must
sign the award terms but may disregard the assurances of compliance with civil rights requirements
included in the submission materials.

The deadline to complete the first submission is June 7, 2021 11:59 PM PST. 1

Second Payment:

Treasury will make a second payment to Tribal governments in respect of the Employment Allocation
after Tribal governments confirm their 2019 employment numbers. In mid-May, Tribal governments will
receive a notification requesting that they log into to the Treasury Submission Portal to confirm or
amend their 2019 employment numbers previously submitted to Treasury in May 2020 in connection
with the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund.

The deadline to confirm or amend a Tribal government’s 2019 employment numbers is June 21, 2021
11:59 PM PST. If a Tribal government does not confirm or amend employment numbers by that
deadline, the Tribal government will not be eligible to receive a share of the Employment Allocation.

Following the June 21, 2021 deadline, Treasury will calculate each Tribal government’s pro rata share of
the Employment Allocation for those Tribal governments that confirmed or submitted amended
employment numbers. In mid-June, Treasury will communicate to Tribal governments the amount of
their portion of the Employment Allocation and the anticipated date for the second payment.

Resources and Contact Information
Treasury will host a 30 min. briefing for Tribal leaders on the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal
Recovery Funds program today, May 10, from 3:30pm-4:00pm EDT. You may attend this briefing via
this Zoom link, or you may dial in at 669-254-5252, meeting ID: 1614690386#.

As noted above, Treasury also published the IFR today, which describes eligible uses and other
guidelines for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. Please become familiar with the
IFR and know there is an opportunity to provide comments on the rule over the next 60 days.

Treasury prepared a Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Tribal Government Checklist to
assist Tribes in completing the necessary steps to receive payments under the program. In addition, on
May 13, 2021 from 3:30pm—5pm ET, Treasury will host a Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery
Funds information session for Tribal governments to provide an overview of the program, review all
relevant materials, demonstrate the Treasury Submission Portal, and answer your questions. Register
here for the information session.

1
This letter was updated on May 24, 2021 to reflect the extension of the two portal submission deadlines.
For additional information about Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and Tribal
Governments, please visit here. Please subscribe to Treasury’s COVID-19 Economic Relief Programs e-
mail distribution list for future updates about the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
program.

If you have questions about Treasury’s Submission Portal or for technical support, please email
covidreliefitsupport@treasury.gov. If you have general questions about the Coronavirus State and Local
Fiscal Recovery Funds please email SLFRP@treasury.gov or call 844-529-9527. Please reach out to
Treasury Tribal Affairs at Tribal.Consult@treasury.gov should you have any other questions.

We look forward to continuing to engage with Tribal governments to implement this landmark program,
which we believe will help advance a more equitable and sustainable economic recovery for all.

Sincerely,

Nancy Montoya
Treasury Tribal Affairs Program Coordinator
Point of Contact for Tribal Consultation

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Our copy: TREAS-Tribal-Leader-Letter.pdf
Original: home.treasury.gov